Elemental
by QueenCupCakies
Summary: "I've worked too hard. Built MY THRONE so i could display you. You're just the front image. A smudge on my canvas that i'll gladly strip away and replace with something that works better. You do as I SAY! Or i'll gladly take you away from this world. Without me. You are nothing." Power comes from fear, respect and numbers. What better way to build all three than a war? PPGXRRB
1. Chapter 1

White flower petals and pale green leaves scattered the ground, dancing in the wind around the guests. The intoxicating scent of fresh baked bread and steaming pig hung in the air. White streamers and painted doves hung above it all on the balcony overlooking the entire kingdom. The land that rose from war never looked so pure.

"Thank you!" The King's booming voice echoed across the crowd. "Today- it is my honor to gather you all here in celebration of my beautiful daughter- Princess Morbucks…"

Thundering applause erupted from the crowd. Closer friends and families wore a bright smile for the King to see in showing their support. For most it was a small window to get noticed and supported from the king, while for others they shared genuine excitement and joy as the king did.

"And her betrothed Sir Brick of Lleh, in this ceremony of matrimony!"

And with that Brick appeared on the balcony.

His hair was combed back neatly and he wore the Kingdoms colours of blue and violet. A long flowing cape made from white tiger fur was draped over his shoulder and hung low on his right side. A wide toothy smile stretched across his face as he waved to the crowd with his chest puffed out. It was his eyes that made the audience uneasy. How they lacked the same excitement and love the rest of the royal family had. The dark red clashing against the white decorations like blood in the snow.

Calmly and slowly he made his way down the stairs to the vine covered wedding arch. He made sure to smile and greet family and friends of the royal family as well as anyone who seemed to have wealth or importance as he made his way by them.

It was clear he was a little uneasy with the amount of people with their eyes on him. But it was something he'd have to get use to. This whole situation has been a giant change compared to his life only a week ago. These small baby steps he makes down the aisle here will forever change his life. He knows he has to. And not just for himself...

As chimes and a low long beat of a drum began to play everyone turned their attention back to the balcony where a young beautiful woman appeared.

Her curly hair was tied neatly away from her face and braided back with common blue and green wildflowers entangled in it. Her gown seemed to drag on forever as eighteen young men held the train delicately as she made her way towards the arch. The smile she wore was sincere as her eyes fell on the love of her life.

Princess was truly born from the land. Her curly hair normal brushed back and wild like the warm Grilbend winds. Her eyes a glowing full green like the forests surrounding their home and freckles that dance over her skin in the same mesmerizing pattern as the sand storms within the city. She was born to be queen of this kingdom, and that was something the gods had decided long before.

"_Their babies are going to be pale with that gross uncontrollable hair. Who cares how well they run the kingdom after this, they look like clowns and then we'll be known as the laughable kingdom." _

"_Where is he from again?" _Another hushed voice spat.

"_A spoiled brat and some red headed orphan boy… we're in great hands.." _The sarcasm oozed out.

"_Well I think she's beautiful. Inside and out."_

The whispers continued throughout the crowd, some good but mostly bad.

Bricks lips curled as he let an audible snarl out. Between their eyes all on him and their words pricking at him like needles, he couldn't keep from squirming. He was tired of people judging, disowning him before even knowing him. But he knew that's how it was with no title, no name, no land or money.

Ice cold hands found his and intertwined fingers. His eyes darted to his hands and followed up the arms until he met with her eyes. She was spoiled, bratty and self obsessed. But those big wide eyes. Those eyes were an open door to the truth. To the warmth she held for her people, for this land. The love she had for him. All things he could never share.

He took a deep breath as if to reset himself before returning a smile.

"Are you ready my king?"

"Born ready, my queen."

The next moments seemed to pass by in slow motion. Dragging on every syllable said and every movement made painfully slow. The reality of the situation already weighed heavy enough on him, he didn't need it all to be played for him half the speed zooming in on every little detail.

Most of the people seated here today disliked him, and he knew that. His wife to be was wrapped around his finger and the King would let out a belly laugh at his plain jokes. But convincing the rest of the world he was a good man for Princess or for this Kingdom. That was harder than he thought.

His eyes darted up to Princess's face. The movement of her jaw as she spoke. The way she pouted her lips as she smiled. He noted how her smile quivered for a moment and her jaw clenched after she spoke. Her words never reaching his ears. Again her frown deepened and her eyebrows knitted together. He heard nothing but a low audible hum. Between the hushed whispers, piercing gazes and the weight of this moment on his shoulders, all he could do was fixate himself on the movement and outline of her face. Following every dip, line and dot to focus on anything else other than running away. Running away and ruining everything he was gifted.

"BRICK!" her voice was steady and stern but her eyes began to water. "Please…" she almost sounded hopeless. Embarrassed even.

His attention snapped back to the crowd. The King's burning glare digging into the back of his head while more hushed voice gossiped around him.

"Sorry," he flashed her a bright smile. "I was just so caught up in how beautiful you are, I must have zoned out." He gently took her hand in his. "Now where were we?"

* * *

"The new Lord and Lady of Grilbend are having a wedding celebration." An older frail man spoke softly setting down a steaming cup of water. "And it appears as if you were invited. Shall I return a message letting them know you won't be attending?" He gave the queen a smug smile.

"Don't bother. We both know there are more important things that need our time than a no thank you letter and a party celebrating a marriage that'll collapse as fast as the land they rule."

"More important… You mean like those nightmares you've been having?"

The air around them dropped briefly as the queen tensed up. Goosebumps trailed her arms and her vibrant pink eyes shot open wide. It wasn't the fact he knew about the dreams that frightened her, it was how every little detail came rushing back to her mind like she was living it all over again. Those faces… Screams…. The red….

"They're not just dreams. It feels too real…" the queen wrapped her coat around her tighter and let out a warm breath before continuing to skim through the stacks of books in front of her.

Nigel took a seat next to her in one of the worn out green arm chairs. He crossed his legs gracefully and peered down at the woman at his feet. "You're overworking yourself. That's most likely the reason why you're having those nightmares. Too much stress for such a young girl.." He clicked his tongue at her.

She leaned forward and sighed, her long red hair covering her porcelain skin. "With all due respect Nigel. I'm far older than you. Far older than probably everyone in this land. I am not a child. I am a grown adult. I am the queen. So treat me as such." Her voice was cold and sharp. A tone that would intimidate most. Not Nigel.

He shook his head and snickered at her. "Not older than I, my dear Blossom. Your father and I knew one another a very long time ago. Long before you were created."

"You hardly count, you're dead. You're just a spirit stuck in this place. I've lived many more years than you. Sure you've haunted more. But I'm the one still breathing…" She sighed. Some days she wished she wasn't the one breathing. But no matter what she tried she always returned.

"And yet I enjoy the taste of tea and the feel of silk along my fingertips. How many spirits can do that?" He asked smugly, snatching a book from Blossom's hands. He waved the book in the air as if he were brushing Blossom away. "Besides, breathing is overrated. Life gets much more exciting and enjoyable when everything takes your breath away." He smirked.

He glanced down at the book in his hands. The book was old and most of the leather cover was faded away. "Him, Himself and I? Desperate enough to start reading children stories?" Worn out ink bled through the yellow pages as he quickly flickered through them.

Blossom smiled up at him, reaching up for the book. "A wise old man once told me every fairytale and ghost story stemmed from some truth. And the tale of Him, Himself and I is one of the oldest stories told around this land."

Nigel sighed and handed the book back and readjusted himself in his seat. "Get some sleep, get something to eat and maybe make some friends. All this work and no play is turning you into a crazy person."

Blossom ran her hands over the book examining every crack, tear and water stain. She bit her lip lost in thought and sighed. "I have to trust my gut. I've had bad dreams. These… these are something else…"

The old man shrugged his shoulders, allowing his robe to drape off and down his arm, exposing his thin frame. "Your guts probably saying you need to eat something other than boiled water." He stood himself up and adjusted his clothes.

She traced her fingers along the rim of her cup, running it down along the chip and following the shallow crack along the side. A glossy pink ribbon was painted around the cup with _B L_ inscribed along it. The cup was old and barely hung together from the amount of times it's tipped and rolled off the table. But it's the only cup she'd ever use since he left.

"St. Pines Fountain. Not just lake water, not well water. St. Pines Fountain water. Something big is going to happen, and I'm going to need a little more help. So until I figure out who's trying to reach me or what they're trying to say, I'll have no time to eat or make friends." She snapped, tossing the book beside her.

She ran her hands through her hair, entangling her fingers. It's been days but she's no further in finding a meaning to the night terrors then she was when it first happened. Dark heavy circles weighed her eyes down from her tiresome nights.

Blossom had always been known as a thing of beauty. From her fair clear porcelain skin to her long red hair that flowed as smooth silk and framed her gentle features. But now her face had sunken in. Her sink beginning to grey and her hair frazzled and split.

Nigel clicked his tongue at her, snatching a book off the top of the stack. "If you want answers, trying leaving this ice age dome and travel around the land. We've been shut off from the rest of this bloody place for so long. You're not going to find answers in outdated books or from heated baby food. You should know that!"

She couldn't look him in the eye. She was their queen, their leader. Brave, intelligent, a role model for their home. But she was controlled by fear. By lost. Shutting out the world has kept them safe. Protected them from further loss and damage. Deep down she knew that her choice to shut them out wasn't about protecting her people. But her fear of forever losing him…

"Death is normal. It happens to everyone eventually. You can't change what happened that day. But Blossom.." He knelt down beside her. Gently taking her face in his hand and forcing her to look him in the eye. "If you truly feel something terrible is going to happen, you can't just sit in your little hiding hole with your nose in a book. Besides, you can't tell me you haven't read all these books a thousand times over."

Her face flushed as she looked past him refusing to meet his eyes. "What if we get attacked again? What if the bad thing happens because I break the barrier?"

"You've grown so much since the last time. You were young and naive. You may not have been new to the royal family, but you were new to the power in the title. What happened to Luke was awful. But that was a very long time ago."

Blossoms hands quickly found her heart. No matter how long it may have been the wound was still fresh. Still aching. She's been around for so long, but no one had made her feel the way he did. Looked at her the way he did. He made her feel _real_.

Hot tears stung the back of her eyes. She tried desperately to blink them away, but her attempts fell short.

Nigel wrapped his thin arms around her shoulders, gently pulling her into his chest. "You can't let this hurt you forever. You're our leader. It's time you stop using what happened to distance us all from the world. It's your job to get over it and do what's best."

She sniffled and nodded her head. A small smile cracking on her face before disappearing just as fast. "Those aren't exactly comforting words you know…"

She pulled herself away from him and turned her attention back to the cup. "The way I feel won't change. What happened will always leave a scar." She turned back to face him, her head held high and her chest puffed out. "But you're right. I am your Queen. Queen of this place. It's my responsibility to keep everyone safe. Even if that means overcoming my own fears…"

Her shoulders slumped down and her face fell low again. "Just not this moment…"

Nigel nodded. Deep down he knew she wasn't going to change. The wall will stay up. Outsiders will never be allowed in and they never out. But he could dream. He could push her as much as he could. But she's stubborn and scared. And he can't expect a scared little girl to do something like this and not run away.

"We'll talk about this further tomorrow." He said sternly standing up. Without a second glance he walked out study and disappearing into the maze of hallways in the castle.

* * *

"You know…" The young blond started, walking beside his brother. "We definitely drew the short stick on this one. Brick gets married to a hot princess. Then Brick becomes King and now rules over not just us but everyone around us." He waved his arms frantically around. "And what do we get?"

Butch shrugged. "A bed to sleep in and the ability to do whatever we want while Brick has to deal with all the repercussions of our actions?" He smirked as his eyes darted from one shopping stall after another. He picked at his fingers to keep himself from grabbing any shimmering or shinning items that caught his eye.

Boomer huffed at his brother in response.

"Do you think he'll be mad we missed the wedding?"

"Hardly, he probably didn't even notice. Between all the snobs in fancy frills and Princess Big-Butts all up on him I hardly think his thoughts were 'Where's my brainless brother?'."

"Speaking of big butts…" Boomer licked his lips, his eyes tracing two giggling girls figures. "I forgot how nice these Grilbend women were.." His icy blue eyes skipped from woman to another, until his eyes fell onto a very angry looking brunette in front of him.

He questioned why it took so long for him to notice her. Her dark complexion stood out amongst the usual pale reddish toned of Grilbend habitants. Her curly hair bounced just above her shoulders and was pinned back off her face. Even with the stern hard gaze she held her grey eyes still twinkled with some amusement.

Perhaps it was the baggy pants she tucked into her knee high boots that made her harder to be noticed in Boomers eyes. With her loose clothing it'd be easy to miss her slight curves or toned arms until you really stopped and looked.

"You sure have no shame…" Her voice like honey when she spoke.

_Never heard an accent like that before… _He thought, his eyes crawling from her feet back up to her face. His gaze lingering on the exposed skin by her midriff for a little too long.

He shined her a sweet smile before reaching a hand out. "Boomer…"

Keeping her arms crossed she pushed past him. She kept a steady heavy pace distancing herself from him, weaving around the busy Sunday shoppers.

"Wait!" Just as fast as she had marched away from him, he switched around to catch up with her. "I never got a name… I'd hate to miss out on a beauty such as yourself.." He smiled, hands in his pockets as he walked beside her.

"And you're not getting one. I don't feel like amusing a man whore today." Her words were bitter sweet as she sped up.

"Lucky for me, I'm not a man whore." He winked at her, matching pace with her with ease.

"Chase after some other loose wife. I have important business to…"

Her hands reached out to brace herself from bumping into the blonde, gripping tightly around his shirt to avoid toppling over. Her eyes shot wide in disbelief as she stared down at his feet.

"How did you move so fast?" She whispered more to herself than him.

Boomer shrugged and growing smirk on his face. "Maybe you're just slow?" He leaned down, his mouth beside her ear. "Now that you've got me in your arms."

She quickly dropped her arms and returned to her hard expression. His face still only inches away from hers.

"How about I get a name?"

"Blue." Her breath was cold against his cheek.

She took a step back and did a once over the boy. "You Grilbend creatures can call me Blue."

He ran his hand down her cheek and smiled. "Give me a night and I promise you won't be comparing me to the rest of these people." He gently cupped her face in his hand and forced her to look him in the eyes.

He licked his lips, never breaking eye contact, as he wrapped his other arm around her waist, and drew her in closer so she had no other option than to hold onto him to keep from falling back.

He could feel her heartbeat race against his own. Her face flushed and her eyes panicked. They're always so strong until they get under his touch.

Nervously she ran her hands from his waist to the back of his neck drawing her face close to his. "Don't. Touch. Me." She purred before flipping him over her shoulder onto the dusty road.

"Like I said. You Grilbend creatures. Disgusting…" She kicked him hard in the chest. "Greedy.." She kicked him again but he didn't flinch. "Idiotic.."

He grabbed her foot and pulled her down beside him. "Not use to a toy playing back." He chuckled, turning on his side to face her. "Where you from, Blue?"

She stared wide eyed at the blonde. Here they laid in the middle of the street, busy feet stepping over and around them. She was in disbelief that no one bothered to stop and help and the fact the little blonde kid just wouldn't give up.

She ripped her foot from his grasp and sat up dusting off her hands. "A) I'm not your plaything. B) touch me again and I'll fucken kill you."

He sat up beside her, throwing his head back in laughter. "Deal. No more hands on. Got it."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I just haven't been out of my cage and alone for this long before…" He glanced around only noticing for the first time that it was just him and Blue. "Speaking of which… Where's my brother?"

* * *

Butch could never understand why his brothers chose to walk everywhere. The freeing feeling of wind blowing through you, and the weightless feeling off his shoulder. There wasn't anything more he could ask for.

Since MJ had let them leave their little cabin in the woods, all his brothers had done was walk the same streets and visit the same stores within Grilbend they'd always been allowed to. But Butch. Butch wanted more. The adventure and discovery of every new turn made him addicted. A drug that he never wanted to give up.

He glanced back at the sandy pit so many call home, slowly growing smaller as he flew deeper into the deep woods around them.

_I could just keep going. I could just never come back. No rules. No laws. No brothers who are always better than me. I could have my own life… _

He took a deep breath and slowed his speed, just drifting through the violet sky. Wrapping himself in the white fluffy clouds. He wanted to drag on this moment forever. As if any second someone could strip it all away from him. Wake him up from this beautiful dream and lock the door once again.

He lowered himself down, brushing his fingertips against the soft leaves of the forest below. It was never ending. Deep, dark and mysterious. It held secrets he so desperately wanted to know. Everything outside Grilbend always seemed so distant. Unreachable.

From here he could see it all. The sandbox known as Grilbend, dark cold clouds above Tamiliu, the lush farm lands in Grundairia and the clashing faves against Alatas Islands. Within the city limits everything seems unattainable, but here he can see just how close they are.

At first he was jealous when MJ chose Brick as the leader for their plan, leaving himself and Boomer to the side. Matters only got worse once Boomer was needed for an inside job leaving Butch completly on his own. But now he was kinda glad. While Brick was stuck inside the castle walls playing King and Boomer was stuck back in Grillbend, Butch was able to fly free..

* * *

Broken and half built trincis were neatly placed around the room under display cases. Even in the dark room the copper pieces seemed to sparkle. Smudge notes and ink splatters covered any free space on the walls. To most this place would look like a storage for trash, but to Bubbles it was a place of amazement.

She knew one day this place would attract many onlookers and in spark creativity and curiosity in the youth, like it does for her. Not very often does she stumble across something older than herself, or something she knows nothing about, so it's always fun to come down to Billy's little hiding hole.

She's been known as historical figure and hero around town, it's been hard to find someone who doesn't look up at her like she's some incredible being or talk down to her out of jealousy. One of the reasons she's so happy to have met Billy and Clara. A pair of curious siblings who just see her as another person.

"Hey Bubbles!" Billy called out from behind the counter, a wide smile painted on his face.

She smiled back at him, tearing her eyes away from the displays and skipped over to him. "No matter how often I come in, this place still amazes me."

Billy chuckled to himself, "One of the reasons I love when you come in." He twisted a gold disk around in his hands. "This stuff on it's own is interesting and new, but it's more worthwhile when there's someone who shares the same feelings as you do.." He looked eyes with her. The excitement speaking louder on his face than words he could say. "Speaking of which. I have a surprise…"

"What did you find?" Bubbles perked up.

"Clara wanted me to wait for her but I don't know if I can wait." He looked around and sighed. "Ok… Count this as an early wedding gift."

She clasped her hands together and bit her lip to keep from squealing in glee. She was a sucker for surprises or presents, or both together!

"But this is a secret… Just between us three ok. For now at least. You can't tell _anyone_. Not even Henry."

She nodded her head. "I'll try."

Billy crossed his arms. "Not trying. Only doing! It's not 100% up and ready just yet ok. And I can't have people snooping in my stuff until it is."

Bubbles smiled, bouncing on her toes from the anticipation. "Just show me already!"

He chuckled and swung around on his stool. He pulled a ring of keys out of his pocket unlocking one of the drawers of his desk, pulling out yet another key. With a quick pace he stepped over to the back door to his office and unlocked it.

"In here."

She followed along, as he removed a framed painting of his family from behind a workshop bench revealing a heavy safe. He twisted the lock back and forth before a satisfying click popped the door open.

Inside sat an old book made of loose papers held together by a bright pink ribbon, a small sack of coins and his parents wedding rings.

Bubbles pouted, part of her was expecting something more exciting. Bigger. Louder even. Not a some change and wrinkled notes.

"Clara was requested by King Morebucks back in Grilbend. A few days after she arrived she sent me this in return." He pulled out the book and handed it to Bubbles, careful not to damage the book. "I know it's not super old and shiny like everything else. But I think you'll like it. Clara said there was something else but she didn't want to risk sending it in the mail apparently."

Bubbles ran her fingers along the ribbon, something so familiar about the look and feel to her. She couldn't quite read the writing or understand the scribbled sketches beside it. The pages were burned around the edges and water stains scattered the middle of it.

"Page ten. That's how Clara knew it must have been important." Billy nodded, edging her to flip it open.

Doing as he said she slowly opened to the page. More unknown written and messy drawings were on the page. The only thing standing out was her name and a drawing that resembled what one would assume was a younger her.

"I don't completely understand.." She admitted.

"Clara found it while snooping around the royal mages room. We think it belonged to Utonium. The mage who created you. We haven't been able to translate too much of it, but a few basic spells and potion ingredients. She said she wasn't going to give it much thought until she saw you."

Bubbles hands shook and her eyes teared up. She hadn't remembered much of her life before appearing in Alatas one day. Here in her hands could possibly be a key to who she is. _What she _is.

"But if this is Utonium's book." Billy continued, pulling out a seat for Bubbles. "Then there's many people who'd like to get their hands on it. If the stories are true he was a very powerful man. I don't want the wrong person to get a hold of it before we… _You_… are able to go through it."

Shakily Bubbles took a seat, unable to remove her eyes from the smudge drawing. The drawing had her same large excitable eyes. The hair was drawn in a twisty manner in pigtails that overlapped the girls chubby cheeks. She couldn't read the language that it was written, but something about the sharp edged symbols seemed familiar to her.

"Not modern Grilbend scription…." She thought out loud.

Billy nodded. "I'll admit I flipped through it multiple times before. There's Woodland symbols at the end of the page 39, and pages 28 to 35 are missing."

As he spoke Bubbles flipped to the corresponding pages. Page 39 once again filled with unrecognizable writing except for the word Buttercup written boldly at the top. Once again a fast sketched picture of a young girl sat beside the notes.

Bubbles met Billy's eyes, reaching out the book back to him. "I'm getting married soon and as odd as it may seem. I can't handle this at the moment. Looking through this book makes me want to search for more. To dig deeper. But…" She sniffled back her tears. "If I want to learn about my past part of me knows that means giving up my present. Like everything I've built up now means nothing since I get the chance to remember something that happened so long ago."

Billy sighed, pushing the book back towards her and wrapping and arm around her shoulders. "Wanting to learn about your history doesn't mean giving up what you have now."

"Billy. If I want to know more that means leaving this place. If there were clues to my past here I would have found them by now." She rested her head on his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. "If I leave here. I'm leaving Henry. He's the love of my life. But his place is here. He fought so hard to be where he is. I can't expect him to leave with me. And if he doesn't come with me it'll break my heart."

He understood. In Alatas the strongest warrior became the King. Henry had trained for years and studied hard to be the leader this place needed. Before him this place was littered with racism from neighboring kingdoms and riddled with criminal activity. He fought hard to make it a better place even after battling the old king. And it was all thanks to Bubbles. She had inspired him after they met to be a better man. To do better. And now that he is, it wouldn't be fair to ask him to leave it all behind.

"You don't have to do anything about it. Just know that you have it for whenever you need it." Billy reassured her.

"Thank you… For this. It's definitely the most amazing thing I've ever been given." She practically leaped into his arm, holding onto him tightly.

* * *

"Again." Her voice was unforgiving.

It took every muscle available to pry themselves off the ground and back up into their stance. Their breath was heavy and uneven and their movements sluggish. Their feet dragged on the ground and their sticks taped together with a soft _clink_. The constant heat from the sun beating down on them cause their clothes to stick from sweat. Dried blood and dirt covered any exposed skin.

A shaggy hair man collapsed first. His legs unable to support his weight any longer.

"I need a break. I can't go on." His voice was weak.

Twin boys followed in his steps soon after. They gasped for air chugging back what little water they had left.

"This is stupid." Mitch grumbled tossing his wooden staff to the ground. "We've been at this for literally all day!" He hissed, slumping down on to the ground. "Besides, why are we working so hard? This stupid fucken forest protects us anyways…"

Buttercup let out a low growl turning her back to the exhausted group. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, looking into the endless stream of branches and leaves.

"We have to be stronger. The forest won't always be enough." She turned back to them. Her face unreadable. "I can't afford you guys to get sloppy. It's not just our lives were sworn to protect. It's everyone in the village."

Mitch grumbled, flopping onto his back staring up at the sky. "We were chosen from the goddess herself to protect this land! It's our job!" He licked her tone. "But nothing ever happens so what's the point?" He hissed.

Buttercup reached her hand out to help Mitch off the ground. "Come with me for a second while the others rest."

He nodded taking her hand and following her into the forest. He followed close to her heels over fallen tree trunks and mossy rocks. She led him to a small opening where a short fat tree sat in the middle surrounded but a small stream.

"There's something we need to talk about…" Her voice was soft. Shaky as if she were afraid.

Thousands of small twinkling lights erupted from the tree fluttering down around them. It took Mitch a minute to realize they weren't just lights, but small fairy like creatures.

He looked over at Buttercup unsure what this had to do with them training so hard. "Buttercup… What's going on?"

The ground shook violently under them and the trees loomed over slowly closing in on them. The light the pixies had illuminated quickly vanished until they were left in the dark….


	2. Chapter 2

"There's my son!" King Morbucks chuckled, wrapping a strong arm around Brick. The sudden weight causing him to shift in his place before regaining his balance.

The King had always been an affectionate toucher, whether it be rib breaking hugs to bruising clasps on the shoulder. It was something Brick was still getting use to and another 180 change from his life before. His family had always been more scream and fight than touch and feel.

The King squeezed his shoulder, a bright smile on his chubby rose cheeks. "You're a lucky man, Brick. My daughter is one of a kind." His words held so much pride.

Princess was the King's greatest achievement. The King and Queen had tried for many years to conceive a child. For the longest time it looked as if Grilbend would not be receiving an heir this time. Then midday in spring he heard her cries for the first time, and knew she was the most precious and important thing in his life.

"Protect her with every fiber of your being. And give her everything she needs and deserves. You'll never find another girl like her." It was obvious he was having a hard time giving her over to someone, no matter how much he liked Brick.

The King was against the wedding when Princess had first asked. Brick seemed like a nice smart young man, but he was also someone taking Princess away. His people and his land already stole most of his time, and now Brick has come along to take up most of her time.

Brick put on a smile, "Oh I know. I'm a lucky man." He took a long hard swig of ale, trying to make this night go over smoother.

After the wedding ceremony, the King had brought back a few close friends and family for a private dinner within the castle. There was a total of ten of them seated around the table, excluding the wait staff behind them. Not as many prying eyes or piercing whispers as they had during the wedding ceremony.

At the far end of the table across from Brick sat Princess. Still in her wedding gown and flowers still in her hair, the candlelight dancing on her skin from the wall behind her. Her mother seemed to be chewing off her ear while Princess picked at her plate. From the looks of it she was enjoying the dinner as much as Brick was.

A few more glasses of wine in a short stubby man burst into the room. His footsteps were heavy under a long white cloak that was three sizes too big for him. His nose pointed up and crinkled back against his face and his eyes were sunken in past his bushy dark eyebrows. His teeth were sharpened and jagged when he smiled at the king, bowing at his seat.

"Your majesty…" His voice was shaky as if he wasn't sure of what he was saying.

The King turned his attention to the bowing man and let out a cheerful belly laugh. "Ah perfect! Brick meet sir MJ, the royal mage." He gestured to the man with a steaming turkey leg.

Brick averted his eyes from the cloaked man, passing a pea between his fork on his plate.

"We'll don't just squat there my boy! Stand up! Pull up a chair and join us!" The King gestured for one of the servants to pull out a chair for the mage.

"Thank you my lord. And a congratulations to you, sorry I missed the wedding. But I'm sure you and I will be able to get much more... _acquainted _while we work together." MJ smiled at Brick.

"Looking forward to it…" Brick smirked, stabbing the pea on his fork. "How long have you been the royal mage, MJ?"

"Long enough to know what's right for this Kingdom my boy, and to know how to play my part without question." His threatening tone seemed to slip under the King's nose as his smile still glowed on his face.

Dinner carried on as the King began a stream of hunting stories from when he was a boy until every last dish was taken away and the guests heading to their rooms.

Brick watched as MJ slinked the opposite direction from the rest of the staff and guests. He did a quick shoulder check and dodged through a set of unguarded doors and into a dark hall. Growing up Brick knew very little about MJ and now he felt as if he knew even less. But he was determined to get answers. His eyes still glued to the door as stopped in his tracks.

Princess slide a finger across Bricks back and down his arm, drawing herself closer to him. She grabbed his hand pulling it around her shoulders and snuggled in close to him, urging him to walk towards their room.

"Hey there Handsome… Ready to celebrate our new bondage." She whispered, batting her lashes up at him. Despite the rumors Princess had never pushed for more than a few soft sweet kisses from Brick. Her mother had always spoken how special it was the night of her wedding with the person she loved the most. Princess had always wanted to experience that.

Brick chuckled pulling her in closer. "I have something I must do, but I'll meet you in the room." He nibbled her ear, and spun her away as he walked the opposite way down the hall.

She crossed her arms and pouted, not moving from her spot. Brick winked at her and calmly made his way back down the hall.

Once around the corner he raced down through the doors he last saw MJ disappear behind. He opened up to a long dark hall that looked as if it hadn't been touched in a very long time. What one would assume once was a red carpet was now a rat chewed remnants of fabric. The colour faded behind the dust and dirt that had fallen from the cracked walls around it. Tall fadded paintings of unnamed men and women turned to him as he entered. Smirking at him. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. It felt as if their eyes were on him. Not watching and judging. But waiting for the moment to strike. As if he was a long awaited snack.

Everything seemed to echo back louder, he wouldn't be surprised if MJ had heard the creek of the door or the clap of his boot on the tile. He lifted himself slowly off the floor, and floated through the hall, never letting his guard down. Slowly he made his way up the stairs following the footprints. He stopped in front of two large doors made of cracked and molded wood. Hesitantly he pushed the door open revealing MJ standing in the middle of a large cluttered room.

The walls of the room were lined with towering bookshelves filled with thick heavy novels and random artifacts from around the land. A large round table sat between two large cushioned chairs and was coated in beautifully woven spider webs and dark grey dust. More books and loose papers scattered over the table. In the middle of all the dust and clutter sat a large three eyed ram skull, it's horns dark ,thick and curled lifting the skull slightly off the table. Illuminating the room from above bounced a pale yellow ball of fire inside a dazzling crystal ball. Stubby fingerprints cleared spotted areas around the room from someone long ago.

"You could have told me who you are." Brick grumbled. MJ turned back in his seat meeting eyes with the young man. The thick dark hairs on his back spiking up from the sudden sound.

MJ rolled his eyes at the young man's attitude. "Shouldn't you be in your chambers?" He hissed, settling back down.

Brick shut the door behind him with a loud clasp of a lock. His eyes darted from the golden titled books and misplaced statue on the shelves back to the angry short man seated in front of him, who shrugged the white cloak back over his shoulders.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were." Brick grumbled, flopping down in the chair beside MJ. A large puff of dust sparkled around him from impact.

MJ chuckled to himself. "You think I got you close to the King by being a poor village Baker?" He bared his teeth and snapped his attention to the boy.

"You lied to me. To my brothers. If you were already so close, why did you even need us?" Brick locked eyes with him. He was determined to stand his ground. He stood up from his seat so he loomed over MJ. "I want answers MJ!" He howled slamming his hands down on either arm of his chair, getting in MJs face.

"Sit down. You're not any more intimidating slouched in your seat than you are standing up." He pressed his hand to Bricks forehead pushing him away in disgust and sighed. "Listen. You're my creation. And I would never do anything to jeopardize my creations credibility."

Brick study his face for a moment, looking for the ear twitch MJ succumbed to whenever he lied. But he remained still.

"If you fuck over me or my brother's because you're not telling me something…." Brick growled, his eyes burning bright.

"Don't threaten me boy!" MJ jumped up causing Brick to stumble back. Although Brick was two feet taller than MJ, at this moment he was much smaller.

"Now go back to your room before someone suspects something. You'll ruin everything by throwing your damn tantrums!"

Brick let out a low snarl and curled his fists, pausing for a moment in front of MJ, before aggressively pushing past him and storming out of the room. His heavy boots echoing behind him.

MJ flopped back down into his seat, letting out a heavy breath. With a flick of his wrist and a whisper of an incantation a heavy purple book came flying off the shelf behind him, opening up in front of his face.

"Test subject 309, looked promising at first but has since started acting aggressive. May need to be replaced again. Can't afford to start from scratch, need to start recycling." As he spoke the words appeared on the pages.

Princess wrapped her arms tightly around Brick and gave him a wet kiss. "Can't you reschedule? We only got married yesterday, I want some more time with you…" She pouted, walking her fingers up her husband's chest.

"I'll be back before you know it." He gave her a weak smile and tossed a large bag over the back of his horse. He tightened his boots and glanced around one last time looking for the King. "Although, if your father doesn't show up we may have to reschedule."

Brick wasn't necessarily looking forward to the trip, six hours with the King out in the forest alone asides from Paul the King's personal care giver. It was more of a chance to get away from Princess than anything. She was just as clingy and touchy as the King was, and Brick was looking forward to some fresh air. If everything goes smoothly the King will be quiet and hands off while they're hunting giving Brick a break from everything.

"My apologies…" A soft voice cracked interrupting them.

Brick looked up at the young man standing in front of him. Judging by his wrinkled blue button down and baggy black dress pants Brick knew he worked as one of the King's private staff. The boy was pale with curly hair that stuck to his forehead with sweat and dark circles dragged his eyes down. He was much younger than Brick but those years have not been kind to him.

The boy looked from Brick to Princess. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. A high squeek escaped before he clamped his mouth shut and cleared his throat.

"Well? Spit it out already!" Princess snapped, tapping her foot impatiently. Her eyes burning a hole through the boy.

"Your father.." His voice quivered. "Your father…"

"Yes? What about my father?" Princess snapped. Her agression a mix of worry and impatience.

The boys panicked eyes flickered between the two before he let out a cry. "He asked me not to tell you but I believe you should go see him. He's not looking good, the doctors are unsure what had happened or what to do about it.." The boy bit his lip and avoided Princess's worried expression. The words exploding from his mouth. His shoulders slumped as if those words took all his energy from him.

"What… what do you mean? What's wrong?" Princess couldn't wrap her head around his words. Her father was fine she had seen him just this morning in the hall… Or maybe that was last night. What was the last thing she had said to him? When's the last time she had given him a hug and told him she loved him?

Her knees shook under her weight. She grasped tightly around Brick to keep herself up. Her eyes darted to Brick in hopes he knew more. No not hoping he knew more, but assuming he'd know. Blaming him even before she knew the truth. Or maybe that was his fear of getting caught talking. If she suspected anything this whole thing will come crumbling apart at his feet.

He looked away from her before she could see the truth on his face.

"He's in his room…" The young man whispered. He kept his head down as princess pushed past him, hurrying into the castle.

"Call for the royal mage. He might know something to help." Bricks voice lacked the emotional concern the others had. The young man nodded his head and turned his heels in the dirt to take off in the opposite direction. He ran towards a large glass tower just east of the castle.

Brick let out a heavy sigh pulling the bag off the horse and dropping it to the ground with a hard thud. He knew this moment was coming, MJ just made it happen so much sooner than he thought it would.

Everything seemed to be speeding past him now. Within a blink of an eye he had moved into the castle, married the princess and soon he will be crowned king as theirs begins to drift away. It was a lot on Brick. He has lived with MJ in their small cabin for ages, messing around with his brothers and doing petty crime for MJ on the side. He thought he knew him, thought he knew what their life was. But now after everything he's not sure who MJ is. Or what exactly he's after...

He tensed up from the sudden contact on his shoulder, reaching behind and grabbing whomever it was and flipping them into the dust in front of him. He looked down at the grinning idiot and groaned. Staring back up at him with familiar sparkling dark green eyes and a large goofy smile on his face was his brother Butch.

His endless dark hair was cut to the same length as Bricks and tied in a high ponytail at the top of his head. Small dimples peeked out from his cheeks everytime he showed off his up to no good smile.

His brother gave him a mischievous grin and nodded his head towards the kingdoms gates. "While they take care of this mess you wanna explore the land?" He asked hopefully. He was bored out of his mind and it showed as his eye twitched in anticipation.

Brick rolled his eyes and jerked away from his brother. "I better go be with Princess. It'll look bad on me if I'm not there to say goodbye." He paused for a moment and looked back at his brother. "Did you know who MJ was?"

Butch knitted his eyebrows together in thought and shurgged. "Some village idiot who stumbled across three more village idiots?" He questioned, rolling his head to the side and rubbing his shoulder. "Why? Did you find something out?"

Brick sighed and turned back away. "Anyways… go find something to occupy yourself before you break something out of boredom." He ordered walking the same direction Princess ran off to. "The last thing I need is you destroying my new land."

"You gotta tell me what's going on!" Butch called after him balling his fists. He was growing tired of everyone leaving him in the dark. He never knew about Brick becoming king until MJ announced they'd all be moving into the castle soon, even Boomer knew the plan before he did.

Brick was smarter than him and Boomer wasn't as strong or as smart as either but he was always MJs favorite. Butch was always tossed to the side, last pick for everything and it was getting tiresome.

With a swift kick off Butch launched himself into the air, coating the people around him in dirt and tiny stones. A large cloud of dust followed him in the air as he took off towards the forest once again. Just like him it was left alone from all the chaos around.

He'd been coming back to these woods for the past few days and every day they seemed to look different. The surrounding area was nothing but thick bushes of thorns and never ending trees making it almost impossible for anyone to enter. Even from above the forest had grown into a twist of endless branches and large leaves allowing barely any sunlight inside. The forest always seemed quiet until he truly tried to listen. The birds never seemed to sing but instead scream. From afar he could hear the slight trickle of water but the closer he got the louder it seemed to rush.

It was hiding a secret. A big one. And he wanted a taste of it so badly.

At the edge of it all stood a tall cliff side smooth from the crashing waves against it. Just beyond the wall lies a complex cave system. Somewhere along this wall had to have been an entrance. He'd watch a small group of birds flying into it and disappearing the other night. At first he thought it was from lack of sleep until that morning he saw them fly out of the stone once again.

He floated down the side of the rock, examining the surface. He continued down until he touched the salty ocean water below him. He tensed from the cool water and quickly distanced himself. He was never a fan of water. Rain, baths or even a lake he wanted nothing to do with it. Mainly because it often reminded him about how he couldn't swim.

He continued to examine the ledge until his hand nudged part of the wall down. Taking a deep breath he pushed the stone down revealing the dark musty caves inside. Slowly he made his way in, closing the wall up behind him leaving him emerged in total darkness.

A shiver ran down his spine as he continued through the tunnels. His fingertips traced every bump and wet material scattered over the cavern walls as he blindly walked deeper into the cave.

"You there!" A crackly voice called out to him. "This is my cave! Ya hear me! Mine!"

Butch snapped around scanning for the source of the voice. A dim orange light hidden mostly behind a corner caught his eye.

"Wanna fight for it?" Butch joked, his eyes twinkling.

Silence followed as the light disappeared behind the corner. Being led by his curiosity Butch quickly followed the dim light. Sweeping around corners and ducking through tight passages.

No matter how fast he moved the light was always a few steps ahead of him. For a while he was worried he was being led in a circle, but as he continued on, he didn't recognize any markings or pathways as before.

The light slipped through a crack much too small for Butch to squeeze through. He pressed his face against the cold stone peering into the space he last saw the light.

A pool of glowing purple algae filled the middle of the room, more dripping down from the pointed rocks on the ceiling. Tall and short flowers of all different neon colours grew mixed together in the patches of grass around the pond. A tall three headed white deer grazed from afar, and just beyond that was a blinding light to the exit.

"Fell for the witches tricks?" The same crackly voice chuckled behind him.

Butch turned around to meet an old frail man.

The top of the old man's head nearly reached Butchs chest. His skin was pulled and wrapped tightly around his bones. He wore a pair of baggy worn out coveralls. His nose sat three sizes too big on his face with oozing bumps along it. A few short white hairs poked out from under his straw hat.

The old man squat down in front of Butch, doodling odd shapes in the sand.

"She's the witch of the forest. The reason no one gets in. Or leaves. I've been here forever. Always getting teased by that hopeful light." He pointed a rotting stick towards the small crack.

"Why don't you just leave?" Butch asked, nodding his head towards the way he entered.

The old man cackled, tossing the stick at the wall behind Butch. "Leave? Leave! Ha ha! Funniest joke I've ever heard. You don't leave unless she lets you. You only got in because she wanted you to."

Butch puffed out his chest and jabbed his thumb at himself. "Jokes on her! I happen to be the strongest man alive. She can't keep me trapped her forever."

The old began to laugh so hard nothing but the sound of wheezing air came out. He clutched his stomach and toppled over, tears streaming out of his eyes. "You have no idea who she is. What she's capable of. Doesn't matter if you're the strongest fighter, a bubble of joy and laughter or the smartest leader. You'll rot in here. Because she wants you to."

Butch curled his lip and rolled his eyes. "And who is she exactly?"

"I am Madame Bellum." A looming woman bowed, the leaves the covered her face brushing the top of Mitch's head. "The lady of the land."

The woman stood several feet taller than the two, standing shoulder to shoulder with most of the trees in the surrounding area. At first glance the bush at the top of her head could be mistaken as hair, but with a second glance you can see the fluffed out leaves that takes it place. Rainbow coloured butterflies and ladybugs of all sizes peeked in and out of the bush. Her body was covered in smooth bark, that twisted and knotted with the flow of her form. The pixies that once flew lighting the area around them now laid at her feet, giving off a spotlight glow for her.

Mitched stared in amazement at the towering beauty in front of him. Mitch had lived here most of his life, and never had he seen or even heard of this '_lady of the land_'. Nothing in this forest had compared to the beauty and grace this woman displayed. Without a second thought Mitch dropped to one and bowed his head.

Bellum laughed softly cupping Mitch's face in her hands and slowly tilting his head up. "My child, worry not about formalities. Within this land we are all equal." She gestured to the land around.

Until now Mitch hadn't noticed how rich with life the surrounding area truly was. Brightly colored birds flew from tree to tree nestling in with their unhatched eggs. Small gnomes carried pouches of berries and nuts back to their small little homes. Pixies danced wildly in the air, laughing until they fall with one another. A mother deer and her fawn napped lazily under the trees.

Mitch blushed and stood back up dusting off his knees.

"This. This is the reason we train. The reason why we're ready to protect and fight for this land." Buttercup said sternly. "Madame Bellum cannot protect us all forever. And forever is even shorter than before."

Mitch looked back to the Lady of the Land, tilting his head in question.

With a flick of her wrist Bellum created to large road stools behind both Mitch and Buttercup. "Please. Take a seat my children." It was more of an order than a request when she said it.

She fanned her arms out, growing branches and leaves that rapidly changed as she talked, displaying the images of her story.

"Eons ago an old friend came to me. His wits at an end. He had done something no other mortal has done on their own. Created life."

Mitch scuffed. "Creating life isn't exactly all that hard." He interrupted.

Bellum laughed. "You're right my boy. But this child. This child was special. They possessed a unique ability to grow life from their fingertips as well as the ability to transfer one life force to another."

"Life magic is a rare ability to learn on its own, besides it's forbidden almost everywhere. Even here you can't mess with the circle of life." He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "A kid could never learn something so difficult."

A rough vine snaked its way through the grass, winding up the toadstool and wrapped itself around Mitch, making it impossible for him to move or speak.

"My dear boy. Please. Just listen for once in your life." The clear annoyance oozed from her words.

"My friend asked me an impossible task. To take the child's power away. And so I did. And gave it to myself. After the exchange the child grew weak. Too weak to travel back. So I homed the two until she regained her strength. During their stay, my friend had told me of the girl's sisters. The other two had also possessed immense power, too much for him to keep hidden away or teach how to properly control. So he separated them all to trusted hands. Although not all hands could be trusted."

The surrounding area grew dark. Streams of tears raced down the woman's cheeks and the ground shook slightly with ever stiffened breath she took.

"Someone closer to him than I, took his life much too soon. Greedy for the same knowledge as him. The child was to travel back with him. But his home needed him before she could go. He never returned. Worried for my friend I sent one of my own out to seek what had happened. My small flying friends return to me nightly, sharing the information of some strange beings. Beings made in a similar manner as the child. But darker. An unstoppable force is coming. It will come. It will kill thousands of innocent lives. It will rule. All we can do is struggle to survive. Poorly attempt to rebuild unharmed and beg that when death does come. It's merciful ..."

Mitch tore the vine off around his mouth and shot out of his seat. "If you think for a moment that I'm just going to stand to the side and accept what you have to say.."

Buttercup clamped a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze. "We're not going down without a fight Mitch. This is why we fight. Why we train and why we bind our blood to these woods."

Bellum sighed dropping her arms back to her sides and regaining her poser. As she shrugged her shoulders back sun began to peek back through the leaves and the animals crept back out of hiding.

"There's nothing you can do my children."

Mitch shook his head. "You took the girls abilities! Why can't you take the other boys powers?"

"It wasn't as simple as a flick of the wrist or a sweet kiss. The girl and myself are bound for life. Everything I feel she feels and vise versa. The act of taking her abilities almost killed the child, and _myself._ To do it three times over would be nearly impossible. Besides. There's something much darker invading these boys."

"You said death would come no matter what. Maybe your friend discovered a weakness to the girl. Maybe a weakness we could use to exploit the boys."

Bellum thought for a moment and shrugged, a small smile of hope tugging at her lips.

"Perhaps. If he did. If there's any information on the children he created, It would be somewhere in Grilbend. He was a royal mage there for a very long time."

Buttercup crossed her arms and shook her head. "That's a few days journey. And a dangerous one too. No one here has left this forest for eons. Who knows what the world outside is like. Last time anyone entered or left there was a world burning war."

Mitch snapped his attention back to Buttercup, his face griming. "You're the one who keeps telling me how we fight to protect. If there's anyway to protect our people out there than we have to try."

"Don't argue with me. As your cap…"

"You're one single person, Buttercup. Your word does not get to decide what happens to hundreds of people!" He snapped.

"And neither does yours!" She screamed back, digging her nails into the palm of her hands.

"We're not asking you to choose someone or force someone to travel on their own."

"I won't risk the lives of these people, Mitch! Why can't you just accept that! For once in your miserable life just listen to me!" Her voice quaked and tears threaten to spill.

"Because for once in my life I don't want it to be miserable." He said quietly. "Don't risk just anyone's lives. Let me decide. Let me do it!" He clutched his shirt, refusing to look away from Buttercup. "You trusted me enough to introduce me to Madame Bellum." He gestured to the awkward woman off to the side.

Bellum gave a small wave and turned her attention away from the bickering friends.

"Trust me to do this."

Buttercup bit her lip and shook her head. "No. Not you. You're the second strongest person here. You've known this forest inside and out since you were a child. We can't afford to lose you."

"Buttercup. Please."

"Let me think on it. I'll give you an answer in the morning." She sighed turning back away from him. She rubbed her shoulder and walked back towards the area she last saw her crew. Mitch slowly following behind, giving Madam Bellum one last goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

With a deep breath Bubbles took in the salty air. A shining smile danced across her face as she slowly walked into the ocean waters. It had been so long since she had been home.

The moon above her shoulders sparkled across the water surface and shined against the other citizens. Cool water rushed up their legs as they walked deeper into the familiar dark waters.

Off on the shore line Billy waved goodbye hollering behind her. He wouldn't be ashamed to admit he was sad to see her go. He knew she'd come back for a visit, but he'd miss her already. Part of him wished he could venture down and see her, but without the proper equipment or bearing the aquatic genes he knew he couldn't.

"Thanks again Billy!" Bubbles yelled, the water levels now reaching her chest. She raised her arms high over her head and stopped just before the drop off. She had done this a million times but it was always frightening. Unlike most who make their way down to Alatas capital, Bubbles couldn't breath under water.

Expensive shops sold mouth breathers but those were always outside of her budget. Her adoptive family all possessed the water breathing gene, which made traveling at first a little hard. Eventually she had trained herself to hold her breath for three minutes before things started getting cloudy. Even short when the currents were strong against her swimming.

She looked back and blew one last kiss to Billy before taking the plunge.

Her cheeks puffed out and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The first time she had done this her eyes burned from the salt in the water. But not it was more of a pleasant sting.

Looking around she noticed a few familiar faces. Neighbors, shop owners and old family friends. A few of them took a little longer to say their last goodbye like her and slowly sank beside her. While others didn't stutter and had already descended into the light-less waters below.

The lower they sank the darker the waters grew until she could no longer see the faces beside her. She looked back up at the oh so tempting light. It'd be easy to just swim back up to the surface. Both the lands above and below belonged to the same man. Her man. But his home was in the deepest waters.

She wish he'd spend more time above the water, but all the trouble rumbled below the waves. The small islands above normally kept their best behavior as tourists and traveling traders inhabited most of the parts. Underneath is where the rich lived away from the 'land walkers' as they called it. Unfortunately most of those living in wealth didn't get it through hard work and discipline, but rather blood, sweat and tears.

Her nerves relaxed once her feet sank into the cool shifting sands. She curled her toes, digging herself deeper to avoid being tipped back from the current.

A swarm of bobbing lights made their way towards them. The colours glowed elegantly. Brightly burning reds, greens, yellows and purples made their way to their corresponding people, whilst also displaying their status and wealth. But the only colour she sought after was the pale blue light.

Instinctively she reached her hand out until her fingers intertwined with familiar rough ones. Her hand fit perfectly inside his.

Under the dim light it was hard to see the harsh scaring down the side of his face or the white of his blind eye. She used to hate the damages done, but now they reminded her of just how far he has gone. She traced her fingers over the raised patch of skin on his jaw as he pulled them deeper into the dark.

The closer they swam to the city the harsher the water push against them. Leaving the city always seemed easier with the water edging people out, but entering was another story.

The journey was always easier with someone to meet her half way. The first time she had gone alone she got lost and nearly drowned before another traveler had bumped into her. After that she had refused to ever go alone.

"Not much longer, my love."

She curled herself tighter into him as they entered a long tunnel. She shivered in disgust as the slimy walls brushed against her skin, as they were forced into single file through the cavern. One by one people slowly began disappearing through a large steel door. As the approached closer a prickly tentacle wrapped itself around Henry's arm as he reached out for the door.

Glowing a bright neon pink colour was Gavin, a large deep sea spider squid. "You got papers?" He hissed through two large fans hanging out the front of his face

Henry reached in his pocket and pulled out a small sack of coins tossing it at Gavin. "That amount better be paid back to me in full…" He threatened, shoving past him and into a smaller room.

As the doors closed behind them the water quickly drained, leaving the two soaking and cold.

"I don't remember there being an entrance fee…" Bubbles questioned, wringing out her pigtails.

Henry wrinkled his nose. "It's a new protection thing. Too many nosy people have been trying to make their way into the city. So I hired Gavin and his crew to keep them out. In return they collect a small tax from each visitor. Being the King I make a small cut of course."

Bubbles crossed her arms and pouted. Henry was suppose to be better than the crooked criminals in the city. She had only been gone for a month and he had hired known creeps to guard his home.

Henry sighed, slowly stripping out of his wet clothes. "Don't give me that look. I did what I had to. Besides keeping them out there is better than allowing them in here." He tossed his clothes into a small bin beside the exit. "Now come on, we haven't got all day. I've been waiting for you for years."

Bubbles giggled, quickly following his lead. "It's only been a month."

She did a slow look over at him, getting a better view in the lit room. Fresh scars replaced stitches and burns he had before she left, while all new wounds covered any untouched skin he used to have. A string of stitches crossed his chest down to his hip and dark black and blue bruises covered his neck. He had taken a hard beating, but still managed to stand tall beside her.

She didn't have to say anything, he could hear it all from her eyes. But he couldn't talk back. He quickly looked away and pried the door open.

"I had Natasha bring us all new warm and _dry_ clothes." He joked, taking a folded stack from a tall braided woman. "There actually tradition Alatas uniforms." He explained, watching her confused expression at the itchy fabric.

The gown itself was beautiful. It was a full length silver dress with an exposed back and low cut in the front. It was the same styled dress her foster mother wore when she first met her. A common gown, one that didn't speak too loud.

"Why are you hiding? What happened while I was gone…" She asked, tearing her eyes away from the dress.

Henry waved her off, slipping into a pair of white dress pants. "I'm not hiding. I'm healing." He corrected her.

Hesitantly she pulled the dress on. The dress was slightly snug against her frame. Bubbles was a strong woman, she never really had a smaller frame and until now it hadn't bothered her. She wanted to cover her exposed chest but every movement felt like the dress would tear.

"My apologizes, but that was the only size available." Natasha bowed. "It was only a little smaller, I didn't think it would be so tight."

"It's fine." Henry cut in.

He grabbed Bubbles hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You won't be wearing it for long. We'll get you home and you can change. Along with all your previous clothing I had Natasha update it with some of the new fashions within the city."

Bubbles looked away and sighed. "I love you." She whispered.

"I promise I'll get you home, James will make you a hot meal and I'll have Natasha fetch you a hot bath."

"And then you'll tell me everything?" She wanted her words to come out more stern. More of a command than a shaky question.

Henry nodded. "I'll tell you all the amazing things you missed. Now come on. It's a long journey, even by cart." He lead her into a small wooden wagon, Natasha taking the leads and guiding the horses away.

Off to the side he watched them ride away, slowly creeping behind. He had watched him grow weak, and now that his greatest weakness had weaseled its way into place, he was going to make the final strike.


	4. Chapter 4

The same pointed shoes marched past Clara for what felt like the millionth time. Her hand clenched her jaw shut and her sweat gluing her skin together. She curled her body in a ball, shaking aggressively from fear. In her free hand she clenched onto a wrinkled old piece of paper, holding on for dear life.

She knew she should've taken more time to plan. She acted recklessly, and now she was paying the price. Normally putting herself in situations such as these ones never feared her, but this time was different. The energy in the room was off the moment that man had entered. He didn't belong and even dust mites in the air knew it.

Just out of view another set of footsteps entered the room. Trying to sneak past one person was harder enough, and now she had to worry about hiding from two of them.

"You did wonderful, my boy!" A voice she didn't recognize spoke. "Now fetch my clean cloak, we have a funeral to attend." The man's tone was much too happy for someone talking about attending a funeral.

The other man chuckled followed by more awkward shuffling. Their voices grew muffled as the wondered farther from the table were Calra hid.

"Have you seen…" Their voices growing more clear as they shuffled back towards the table.

"No I haven't seen your stupid pet chicken…" The other voice cut him off.

Clara held her breath as they shifted through papers above her.

"He's not a…"

"Boomer please. My son. Stop your chattering and help me. We have much to prepare and discuss before your brother is crowned."

Clara narrowed her eyes in thought. A new king is not crowned in Grilbend unless the previous steps down or dies. She shivered fearing for the worst.

King Morbucks had sent for her personally to help him with a special task. She had only arrived the other day, never getting a chance for the King to discuss matters with her. She knew he felt ill this morning, but no illness she knew of could take a man's life so fast. No _natural_ illness that is.

Their voices muffled away as they wondered back away from the table. Clara edged herself closer to the gap between the floor and the ratty old table cloth. She peeked out slightly, taking in the sight of the short old man and the curious blonde boy.

He looked familiar to her. She's seen those swirling blue eyes before, but she couldn't quite place it.

The shorter man handed the blonde a vile of smoking blue liquid before leaving the room. The boy turned to leave, following behind his father's steps. Stopping for a split second as he caught Clara's eye. A sly smirk crept onto his face.

"I always loved Blue…" He swired the liquid around for a moment, breaking eye contact. "Dangerous, unknown. Bold." He licked his lips, his eyes wandering back to the girl under the table. "_Easy to manipulate_…"

Clara shook her head, crawling out for under the table and bolting towards the door. Boomers hollow laughter chasing her down the hall.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned the corner in the main halls. She clenched her chest and slumped to the ground, her legs too weak to hold her. Servants of all sorts marched past her without much thought, as she sat there breathing heavily against the wall.

She closed her eyes and stuffed the paper into the inside pocket of her vest.

"You better not be stealing, Ms. Clara…"

She opened her eyes and looked up at Slim, the man responsible for keeping an eye on her.

Slim loomed over her, his hands stuffed in his pockets. Unlike other guards Slim wore raggy old clothes and kept his hair long and wild. He resembled more of a poor bum outside the castle than a high ranking King's guard.

Clara smiled taking a deep breath trying to calm her nerves. "No stealing here. Just got lost and ended down that dark hall. This castle is much larger than the small village im from. Very easy to get lost."

Slim looked down at her unamused. "What's on the paper?" He questioned, nodding towards her vest pocket.

Clara buttoned up the middle button and shrugged. "Just a small sketch I've been working on. Wanted to send my brother a picture of this amazing castle." She gave him a sweet smile. Her legs still fought against her, refusing to let her stand.

Slim's face remained calm as he reached down grabbing the front of her vest.

"Whoa!" She cried. "In Alatas we don't just grab young women by their…"

"Shut your trap." He commanded. "Your lips move too much."

Clara, grabbed his fist, fighting back so he couldn't undo the button. "My lips move when I speak. Lock me up for it." She hissed.

"Fast lips, are lying lips." He explained. He reached down grabbing her two hands in his other fist and ripped the vest off her back.

"So are we going clothing shopping?" She growled, reaching out for her vest.

Slim pulled out the paper and unraveled for inspection.

In beautiful detailed black ink was a painted photo of Mage Untonium, the mythical forest witch, King Frast of Tamilu and a shy looking Alatas woman. They all stood within a room similar to the Royals mage room in the castle.

Slim ripped the paper and sprinkled it in front of Clara. "Funny picture of the castle. Now it's a puzzle." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the ground.

Clara yanked her arm from his grasp and dusted her pants off. "You owe me a new vest."

Slim tossed her a single bronze coin. "Buy one on your way home. We don't need you anymore."

Clara blinked blankly back at him. "What do you mean? The king sent for me, may I speak to him. I don't understand why I'm being sent away."

Slim ignored her words, disappearing into the busy bustle of servants.

Clara dug her fingernails into her palms. "YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!" She screamed after him. But still no one dared to bat her an eye or even acknowledge she stood there as they pushed past her.

Before she could took a step forward she felt a firm strong grasp holding her in tensed under the touch and realed her arm back ready to hit back hard. But before her fist could make contact strangers other hand caught it.

Her heart panicked as she locked eyes with the same swirling blue eyes she had seen earlier.

"I'll listen to you, _Blue_." He smiled. In one graceful swift movement he spun her around so her arms wrapped around herself still held by him, and their chests press close enough to sync their heartbeats together.

She wiggled and desperately tried to slither away from him, but he only moved in closer until his lips brushed hers.

"Come on Blue, speak to me." He whispered.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Your breath smells like the bottom of a fish barrel…" She frowned.

Boomer chuckled, before crashing his lips to hers.

Clara clenched her jaw and began to viciously thrashing in his grasp. She cringed as she felt his tongue slither its way into her mouth and force itself down her throat, placing a small rounded object on the back of her tongue.

Clara bit down hard on his tongue drawing blood and causing him to loosen his grasp. He pulled away from her, but before she had a chance to spit out the small capsule he rammed his fist into her stomach making her choke it down.

Her eyes glazed over and her arms fell to her sides. She could see but she couldn't look. She could feel but not touch. It was as if she watched everything play out from a window. She never felt so far within her own body before.

Boomer brushed a loose strand of hair back out of her face and lightly slapped her cheek. "Don't worry Blue. We're such good friends I can hear exactly what you have to say, without the need to speak." He gripped her jaw and pulled her face back to his. "Give it a few hours and you'll be able to speak to the king."

Brick leaned against the bedroom door. Princess and her mother had left moments ago, leaving just him and the King alone.

The king's breath was shallow but still there. His veins were a clear black behind his ghost like skin, spiralling over his body like spider webs. His eyes crusted shut from dried blood and a few yellow teeth sat on his chest along with splatters of blackened blood.

Brick tapped his foot impatiently, snarling his lip in anger. "Just fucking die." He breathed. He slammed his fist against the door, pushing himself off of it and stomped his way over to the bedside.

The king let out what one could assume was a chuckle before coughing up more tar like liquid. "I am a man. And a real man fights." His voice was weak. Even lying here he felt no fear. "I will make it. And when I do. I'll kill you. With my own hands."

Brick punched the man hard, causing more teeth a black clumps to fly across the room.

The king let out another weak belly laugh. "You're no man. You're hardly human. If only I had seen it sooner." King Morbucks was disappointed in himself. The moment he met Brick he had liked him. He seemed like a strong intelligent young man. What a fool he was.

Brick bared his teeth and knelt beside the King, lowering himself to his ear. "I am more than a simple man. I am the king."

"The people of Grilbend…"

"The people of Grilbend cannot stand in my way. I'll rip them all down if they even _think_ of getting in my way. All of this land will be mine. Not just Grilbend. But Alatas, Tamilu, all of it."

A weak smile curled onto the king's lips. "I wish the best of luck. But not even making a deal with the devil will save your ass from getting beat by…"

Brick bashed the man's face in with one hit, spraying red chunks of skin, hair and blood all over the backboard and sheets. He wiped his hand off with his shirt and rose to his feet. He walked back to the door and gently knocked three times.

The door cracked open slightly before Slim slipped his way inside, dropping to one knee and bowing his head low in the presence of Brick.

"Clean this up. Tell MJ the deed is finally done, and prepare a casket for him…" He looked back at the gushing mess he had just made. "A closed casket."

Slim nodded his head, moving over to inspect the body as Brick left the room.

Just outside in the hall stood Boomer, a wide smile on his face. Boomer cracked his head to the side and pouted. "Have you seen Butch? I'm bored and want to venture off into town."

Ignoring him Brick marched down the hall, stopping in front of a shaking maid.

The woman kept her head low and swallowed hard, playing with the hem of her apron. "I didn't hear anything… Or see anything… I… I swear…" She said shakily.

Brick stood tall over her and gave her a small nod. "I know. Now fetch me a bath, and burn these clothes." He turned on his foot and continued off to his chambers.

The woman nodded her head and quickly followed behind him, still unable to pry her eyes from her shoes.

**(Hi, just wanted to say a special thanks to everyone who took time out of their day to read this story, it really makes my day knowing I can make something that some people enjoy. I'll be moving soon so it'll be a little bit until the next chapter, also expect the next few chapters to be a bit longer than these ones. Thank you all again!"**


	5. Chapter 5

A cold breeze blew in through the window, pushing the curtains up and casting a golden halo over Blossom's resting frame. She shivered slightly and curled tighter into herself, tossing to the side so the thin line of sunshine heated her face. Letting out a satisfying groan, she arched her back and stretched her body out over the sheets.

She felt like she had slept for a thousand years. Her body weighed down and the corners of eyes crusted from sleep. The room around her seemed foggy as her eyes slowly adjusted to the light.

She looked around the room, the door to her room still thrown open wide and a pot of steamy water sat on the dresser at the foot of her bed. She was still dressed in her clothes from the other morning before and her bed a mess from her night's rest.

The mornings sun peeked through her curtains lighting her room with a yellow glow each time the wind blew, letting in the tingling smell of fresh frost.

"Six hours."

She turned her attention to Nigel who now leaned against her door frame. A long silver tray in hand as made his way over to the foot of her bed.

"Six hours of uninterrupted sleep. No screaming. No tossing and turning. Just peaceful sleep." He hummed, a smile glowing on his face.

Blossom rubbed the kink in her neck and smiled back at him. "I didn't realise how tired I was…" She looked down at her wrinkled dirty gown. "Or that I had fallen asleep at all…" She admitted sheepishly.

Nigel clicked his tongue at her. "You fell asleep with that dirty book in your hand. Nose to the pages and still seated upright. At first glance I didn't even notice your eyes were shut." He waved off, carefully setting out small plates of bread, cheese and a few pieces of smoked goat.

The scent made her nauseous from how hungry she was. Cups of water weren't exactly as filling as she wanted them to be.

Continuing with his tasks, Nigel flung open the curtains and marched over to the almirah. Gently he removed a few fur lined dresses and hung then up for display on a tall standing mirror. "I have reserved a large pool in the hot springs for you. You smell like rotting wood, you need a bath."

Blossom opened her mouth to object but Nigel put a finger to her mouth before she could speak.

"Shh. Not a word. We have plans today. Your nightmares didn't terrorize your mind, so I am taking it as a sign that we don't have to worry about it for today. Instead we can spend the day worrying about you."

Blossom crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She was fine. She didn't have time for these distractions.

"Do not look at me like that." He huffed, placing his hands on his hips and glaring at her. "I may be the dead man here. But you are the one who reeks of it." He snapped, dramatically pinching his nose.

Blossom sighed and made her way over to the two gowns. Nigel had nothing better to do with his life than to argue with her and seeing as he was an already dead being there was no point in fighting him

Blossom danced her fingers over the white fur collared dress. This dress would hug her frame tightly making it hard to do anything other than sit and was often too hot for her day to day tasks. Although it was a beautiful gown with a shimmering rose gold colour, it was one of Blossom's least favorite out of them all.

"What are the plans exactly?" She asked, eyeing the gowns.

"Breakfast, bath and perhaps a walk through the town. Fresh air might heal your mind." Nigel nodded, stealing a piece of smoked meat.

Blossom settled on a pale pink dress. The chest piece hugged tightly but was harder to tell from the short cut long sleeved white fur coat she wore with it. The bottom skirt breezed out and gracefully danced around her ankles even with her flatter brown nosed boots. It was easy to move and breath in, while still looking professional. It was also a comfortable wear, and something she could adjust depending on how the temperature grew.

"Fine choice my dear." He nodded, taking it in his hands and leading Blossom through the halls.

With a quick look back, Blossom decided to wait on breakfast and hurry after Nigel.

Her castle often remained empty besides a few guards who insisted on staying and Nigel. The halls were littered with cobwebs and mountains of untouched paintings and statues. It was also roughly half the size of most castle like structures and barely met the title itself. It was more of a slightly larger stone home. She had her study, kitchen and bedroom and that was all she really needed. Before the wall was put up a war room used to own most of the castle, but now it remained as an empty map room.

Blossom rubbed her arms as Nigel lead them outside into the crisp air. It'd been a while since she's taken a trip to the hot springs. The springs weren't too far from the castle, but far enough it may have been a wiser choice to wear a small jacket of some sort.

Fresh fluffy snow covered the demolishing town and graced the land with a sparkling white coat of hope. The chilled air filled her lungs as if she had just swallowed a handful of mint.

"For the queen of ice you sure are letting the cold get to you today, my dear." Nigel spoke with clear amusement in his voice. Of course as an already cold dead being he could never understand just how chilly this morning really was.

Blossom frowned, wrapping herself tighter. "Not the queen of ice. The queen with a heart of ice. That's what they would call me." She corrected him, shaking her head trying to forget those times.

It had felt like only yesterday she couldn't leave the comfort of her home without mocking voices rushing her ears.

They didn't understand the choices she made were to protect them. To do what was best for not just her but her people in general. They weren't easy choices. She fought with herself and questioned what she did nearly every night until a new challenge presented itself. But in their eyes she was the woman who ruined their lives….

She felt a pair of boney arms wrap themselves around her. Before she could object Nigel cradled her head into his shoulder as she burst into tears. His voice soft as he spoke.

"Those times are over. That happened a very long time ago. You're the longest living queen yet you dwell on the past far too much." He let her go, turning away and walking back down the path. "And as I said, the queen of ice. My dear you are the queen of Tamilu. The frozen land. You have mastered the whispering winds incantation when no other being has even been known to spark a small amount of that power. You are the one and true ruler of this icy prison. Blossom the queen of ice." He said proudly, every word he spoke was nothing but the truth.

Blossom smiled, quicken her pace to match Nigel. His weird actions and awful speeches never failed to make her feel better.

"You do have a heart made of ice. The very same ice that shields these fields and chills our enemies. Take pride in it. And use it."

Blossom nodded her head, relaxing her shoulders and letting the air chill her to the bone. It was oddly refreshing for her. But only for a moment before the goosebumps crept to her skin and she held tightly onto herself once again.

Nigel stopped just before towering iron gates. Images of blossoming roses and thorned branches prevent anyone from slipping past the fence. Twisted white steam peeked just above the gate and the smell of mud in fresh rain followed close behind. A small stone hut could be seen just past the bubbling pools of water.

"Now, Juliet has prepared a private pool for you. As well as warmed some towels and has been armed with a brush and scissors. So please do not fight her." He did a once over on the frail sickly woman.

Blossom shook in her boots holding tightly onto herself. Her hair still frazzled and untamed. It would take more than a bath and a fresh haircut to bring her back to her original state. But it was a start.

"I don't want to come back to a skeleton who fell into a burr bush." He narrowed his eyes before shoving the gates open.

Blossom rolled her eyes and shoved past the man disappearing into the clouds of steam and into the warmth of the bath house.

The hot water felt good on her aching body. She couldn't remember the last time she had taken a bath. It had felt as if she had shed her old skin, leaving a raw new softer layer instead.

She danced her fingers on the surface of the water, watching the ripples hurry away from her. A closed wooden door sealed all sound inside, leaving her completely alone and at peace.

Slowly as she lifted her fingers the water rippled back to her, colouring the water a dark red as it passed. The candles around her blew out causing the room to flicker into complete darkness. The water grew heavy and sticky, dragging her under. Her eyes burned and her throat filled with the red water. As if someone held onto her ankles, digging their nails into her skin forcing her deeper. Denying her air.

Ghostly figures laughed at her, poking and jabbing at her as they circled. Familiar faces of people she had known or knew now flashed before melting away. Cries of pain and pleads for help swirled in her ears.

She clenched her eyes shut and clawed at the water desperately trying to reach the surface. The water around her began to cool, slowly freezing the surface and sealing her under just as her fingertips brushed the top of the waters.

She threw her fists against the ice screaming for help, only to breath in more water and forcefully dragged deeper into the never ending pool.

Thick arms hooked under her arms, forcing her body up. Her torso burned as the two beings began to rip her in half. Tugging roughly in opposing directions.

A faint voice called out but she wouldn't listen. She continued to fight and scream. Water thrashed and mute bubbles failed to surface.

"MY QUEEN STOP FIGHTING ME!" A thick voice yelled, shattering the ice above.

Strong arms lifted her from the waters and threw her onto the rocky ground beside it. She landed headfirst with a hard think, cutting her forehead. The room spun faster than she could focus, not quite catching the strangers face before everything clouded over into nothing.

"You must be more careful…" Juliet sighed, tucking in the tale of the bandage in. "Perhaps a private bath wasn't such a good idea?" She joked, making a mental note for the future.

Blossom sighed, feeling around the growing lump on her head. In her struggles she managed to give herself a decent sized gash as well as a growing lump on her head.

"Nigel is going to be upset. He sent me away to get cleaned up. Not come back looking like a dog who lost the fight." She shook her head lightly.

The small amount of movement spun her around enough to make her sick. She clutched her stomach, trying to take even breaths to calm herself. Her discomfort going unnoticed by Juliet.

The strong woman flashed her a toothy smile.

"I know just the trick!" With a wink she turned her back to Blossom, rummaging through her large leather bag. "I used this very trick on my girls this morning. Tiny Tina was a little to rough and really did a number on her sister." She chuckled turning back.

She snapped the thin pair of scissors between her fingers a few times smiling over Blossom.

"Don't cut too much. That's an order, as your queen." The injured woman gritted between teeth.

Before she became queen, Blossom would wear her hair in a short style or tied high on her head. She was never a fan of the light tickle her hair did when it got too long. Or how often it would get caught in everything. Luke was the one who had begged her to try growing it out. At first it was a joke, but after he said he liked it she never changed it. Slowly growing it longer while they were together. Of course he liked her short hair as well. He liked everything about her.

Juliet grabbed a fist full of the hair that covered Blossoms face and cut off a large amount. She continued to trim and brush Blossoms hair until it flowed nearly down her back and the hair in front was cut neatly into bangs just past her eyebrows.

Juliet took a step back to admire her work and tapped her finger to her chin. The large bump made her bangs appear slightly lopsided causing the hair to part just enough for the bandage to peek through.

Blossom huffed blowing her bangs off her face and rolled her eyes. "I feel like a child…" She grumbled.

"It is about to get worse." Juliet smirked, taking the silk ribbon from around her neck and tying it into a large floppy bow on top of Blossom's head. "There. Now no one will notice the goose egg."

Blossoms cheeks burned a bright red and raised her hand to object. "No one will take me seriously like this…" She whimpered. Before she could get another word in Juliet pushed the gown into her arms and turned her back.

"I would have left you alone to change. But you're not trusted enough to bath alone, so I'm afraid to let you dress yourself." Juliet teased.

Blossom huffed in response, glaring at Juliet. Her eyes never leaving the woman's back as she disrobed.

Thin long hand prints were left purple and bruised on her ankles. Lines of dried blood stained down into her shoes. She brushed the marks with her fingers and winced. They burned as if someone held a red hot coal in between her fingers and ankles.

The marks squirmed as she drew her hand back, crawling up her legs and sliding up to her back. As they moved she could feel them, slithering as if they were snakes under her skin.

Blossom grabbed at her skin as the marks moved trying to catch it, afraid of what was hidden under her.

"You alright dear?" Juliet asked, her head tempting to turn towards the ruckus.

"Yes! Yes everything is fine. Just an issue with my skirt!" Blossom called back, snapping her attention to the crumpled dress on the ground.

"Do you require assistance?"

"No. No thank you, Juliet. I think I have it all figured it out."

Blossom snatched the dress on the ground quickly tugging it over her head. "I suppose I should go back and meet Nigel now… Thank you Juliet. For everything. Truly." Blossom smiled, ducking out the door and hurrying out of the bath house.

The air around her was different than when she had entered. The clouds circling like vultures above the town. The chill that once crept to her bones now was nothing more but a warm breeze.

"Blossom. I'm afraid our day must be cut short." Nigel whispered, hooking his arm around hers.

Blossom looked up at him confused as he quickly pulled her back to the castle.

"While waiting for you I took a short trip to the shops. Everything seemed fine at first… but.." Nigel bit his lip and glanced around.

Blossom raised a brow. "What is going on. Nigel if something is wrong I must know. This is my kingdom."

"Blossom. Back when I was a young lad, a very dangerous disease circled around. Our entire population almost died out. It was brought to us by a Grilbend Soldier."

"Are you assuming that somehow it's back?" Blossom chirped.

Nigel nodded.

"The same oozing blue and red sores are glowing over the townspeople again. I don't know how it's returned. But if it's brought by the Grilbend men again then…"

Blossom shook her head. "Impossible. The wall protects us from any one who wishes to intrude." She turned her full attention to Nigel. Studying his face. "How did you get rid of it before?"

"Locking the sick away and letting them die in the hollow ice floors. Far outside of the walls."

Blossom narrowed her eyes and nodded. "I want the sick secured in their homes and have what medical staff we have left do what they can."

She took a deep breath and turned to the path leading to the city center.

"I won't give up on my people. I won't leave them to die in the cold."

Nigel shook his head. "We didn't leave our people last time. We were saving them. Not everyone can be helped Blossom. And I will not lose you over your foolish attempt to save those who are already dead."


	6. Chapter 6

"You're going alone?"

A slim frame leaned loosely on the door frame, wearing nothing but his underwear. His Chestnut hair stood wildly at all angles and fresh red nail scratches traced down his back.

"You weren't supposed to wake up…" She admitted, aggressively shoving a bulky jacket into a small brown bag.

Mitch sighed running his hand through his hair, trying to detangle what he could.

"Suddenly got really cold. Would be nice to go back to bed and warm up."

Buttercup shook her head, turning to face the man.

"Mitch. Let's not do this." She gestured between them. "You know this is what has to be done. Please don't make it harder."

Mitch slowly closed the space between them, pinning Buttercup against the table between his arms.

"You could have taken me with you. Thought this over or asked someone else…" he locked eyes with her vibrant green ones, his mouth inches from hers. "You could have said goodbye at least…" his breath warm on her cheek.

Buttercup curled her arms around his neck tracing the raised red lines down his back.

"I thought I already did."

He pushed away from her, clutching his fists. "Does anything I say or do matter to you? You said it yourself. We don't know what to expect out there."

"And that's exactly why I can't let anyone else go…"

"And you can't go alone."

"Mitch. I not some weak little girl…" Buttercup started before Mitch grabbed her and pulled her against him.

"You're not just some girl. You're someone so fucken important to me and the fact you don't understand that baffles me beyond words. I didn't volunteer so I could escape this place. I did it so you didn't have to put yourself out there."

Buttercup blinked at him before letting out a soft chuckle.

"I can handle myself just fine out there."

"I know that. But I don't want to sit around wondering if maybe you couldn't."

She returned to a straight face and stepped back from him. "What we have is fun. But it's nothing serious. Mitch.." she turned back grabbing the overflowing bag and tossing it over her shoulder.

She took a deep breath, her voice sounding more as if she were giving an order than talking to him personally. "I am older than most choose to believe. I've had more time to practice and train for nearly anything that can be thrown my way. You are a mortal human boy. You're strong, fast and smart and that is exactly why I need you to stay. They need you."

Mitch scuffed grabbing ahold of the bag strap. "I'm expendable. You're stronger and smarter and faster. If anything they need you more here."

She swatted his hand away and pushed him to the side in a swift movement, marching to the door. "Die fighting for this place. They can't have you die out there. If you die out there…" She rolled her shoulders back and snapped her attention back to him. "We will all die. I can't send someone who I don't believe can do it." She snapped, storming out of the door.

She let out a shaky breath once she couldn't hear footsteps after her. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until now.

The village around her was silent, not even the sound of chirping crickets or the flutter of a bird's wing. The forest had been listening. And from the sudden movement from the neighboring hut so was Floyd and Lloyd.

Without a second look back Buttercup disappeared through the thorny bushes and into the never ending dark wood around her.

Butch wrinkled his nose, watching the thin man scarfing back rock beetles.

"You can't be serious…" Butch gagged, unable to tear his vision away from the green legged goo oozing through the man's teeth.

The man swallowed with a hard gulp, reaching a handful of squirming legs out to the boy.

"Only way to survive. They ain't as bad as you'd think. Kinda like chicken…. I haven't had chicken in a long time… so I may be wrong. Point is it ain't bad." He shrugged, stuffing his hand into his mouth and sucking the beetles from his fingers.

"I'm going to pass." Butch put his hands up as if the old man would take any other movement as a sign he wanted some.

Butch turned his attention back to the stone wall. It continued to tease him every passing hour with flashes of blinding light peeking out of the hole. It felt like he had been trapped down here for years with this crazed old man, it was starting to drive him insane.

No matter what turn he made back through the tunnels he always returned to this small opening. Back to the smelly old man. Back to the unattainable exit.

Butch huffed, flopping back onto the cold floor of the cave. "If I'm lucky I'll die." He grumbled, curling himself into a ball. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to tune out the loud open mouth chewing and fall asleep.

"Pathetic…" A hollow voice whispered.

A cold chill ran up his spine but his body wouldn't let him move to see who spoke. He could hear sharp clicks on the stone around him as if someone where walking.

"Out of the three I had the most expectations of you my son. Strong, brave, and apparently a _**failure**_." The voice grew aggressive at the end.

"By now I had hoped Mojo would have taught you what great potential I have gifted you."

It felt as if sharpen nails lightly traced over his skin, just light enough to give him goosebumps and make him squirm.

"Butch my boy, you were crafted from the strongest stone in this land. Birthed by the blood of the land. You _**cannot**_ be trapped by what you _control…_" the voice purred in his ear.

"Do not disappoint me again." It ordered, shoving Butchs face into the ground, digging it's nails into his scalp.

Suddenly the weight was lifted from a top Butch, pulling him up as it went away. He looked around for the source of the voice. The old man lay silently snoozing beside him and the light behind the wall was no longer lit.

"That was a dream? Right?" He questioned, holding his head. He didn't feel any different than he had before, and nothing had changed.

He dusted his pants off and ventured off into the tunnels once again. But just as they had before they brought him right back to the small opening and crazy old man.

He was going crazy in here. Trapped like an animal left to die. He didn't want to turn out like the old man struggling to survive. What was the point of surviving if you couldn't live. Everything he sought after in life was once again stripped away from him.

"Fuck." He punched the wall, cutting his knuckles on the uneven stone.

"This." He slammed his fist into the wall again, harder than before. Speckles of blood left behind from the impact.

"Shit!" His fist met the rock with a hard thump. His breath hitched and his heart fell to his stomach. A strange tingling feeling shot through his body to his finger tips leaving him feeling numb. As he pulled his hand away the wall crumbled in a pile of dust and pebbles.

"I guess you wore the rock out!" The old man chuckled, clasping a hand on Butchs shoulder taking him by surprise.

With a large smile the man waved Butch on, "Come on… ah?" The man stuttered.

"Butch." Butch filled him in.

The old man nodded, jabbing his thumb into his chest, "Names Franklin Lumpkins, but my family use to call me Fuzzy."

"Ok… Fuzzy? Shall we go?" Butch asked, pointing to the untouched freedom before them.

With a skip in their step the two steps over the rubble.

Buttercup curled her toes in the warm sand, sinking lower into the land. Sweat beaded down her face. She could feel her skin cracking and turning red the longer she stood there.

The thick stand of trees surrounding her home kept the forest at a comfortable temperature, she never realized just how much those cluster of leaves shielded them from the sun's scorching heat until now.

Looking forward the sand never ended, no homes, no travelers, no people not even a plant. Just the waves of heat in the air and more brown sand.

"Why did I do this…?" She shook her head, adjusting her bag strap and sulking farther into the desert.

"It's been way too long since I've felt the wet moist mud beneath my toes and tickling grass on ma feet!" Fuzzy cheered, twirling around in the sunlight. "At that sun! That wonderful glowing ball of warmth!" He rubbed the sun light into his arms as if it would vanish like a dream.

Butch chuckled, looking over his hands. The cuts that once grazed his knuckles were no longer there, just dry blood and dust from the ruins of rock.

He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened, but he was thankful nonetheless.

Fuzzy punched him lightly on the shoulder and flashed him a not so perfect smile. "Guess after all those years the rock started to melt!" Fuzzy held his chin in thought. "Ya know, from that dripping water! Makes the rocks smooth and break!"

Butch shook his head and smiled back at the man. "Yeah. 'melted'." He chuckled, hands in pockets wandering through the open meadow.

From the inside the trees seemed more open, the blue sky rained in and the sun danced with the wind. The birds sang beautiful songs and deer prance through the bushes without a care in the world. Every petal bled vibrant colours of the rainbow and the air almost smelt sweet like fresh honey from a bees home.

Butch looked over to the happy man and snapped his fingers trying to get his attention. "So Fuzzy… You seem to know… everything. Where to?" Butch asked, his eyes flashing from one tree to another.

Fuzzy shrugged. "Village people will kill us on sight and the witch will do worse. Best we make a small home far from it all or try to get back to the outside."

Butch shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "No way! We are _not_ going back into that cave. We fought to get out here. We deserve to be out here!" His lips curled into a smile as a devilish thought crept into his mind.

He cracked his knuckles, "I say we take what's ours…" He smirked cracking his neck.


	7. Chapter 7

'_I know he's lying…' _Bubbles thought to herself, watching the slumbering beast beside her.

She slowly pushed the blankets off of her, paying close attention not to wake him. He was exhausted, that was easy to tell from his dark eyes and sluggish movements from the day before. His happy tales of the life she missed contradicted themselves, each word fumbling over the last never matching together to form a perfect picture. Every whisper of a lie never brought her comfort as to where the gashes and broken bones come from.

Life in Alatas was dangerous. She knew that better than most. All of her years she's spent here nothing every got better. People robbed and killed, gangs controlled the towns both under and above the sea. It wasn't until more recently the lands above grew softer. Travelers ventured far from all corners to visit and trade goods with the townsfolk. She had hopped with Henry being in power the other half of Alatas would grow to be more like the land.

Bubbles felt her way through the darkened room, her wooly slippers scuffing on the metallic floor.

She had spent countless nights with him, roamed this room a thousand more and yet everything felt so unfamiliar. She was left in the dark, unsure of what was what or where to go.

Eventually she fumbled into the door. She hadn't noticed when they first entered, that the door has triple the locks it had last time. Heavy, clunky and loud each one turned.

The sharp breath in and shift under the blankets brought her to tense up, slowly easing as a soft snore continued shortly after.

"I'll be back. I love you." Bubbles whispered, blowing a silent kiss before dipping out into the hall.

Hard snorts and loud whispers danced from bright rooms as she snuck past. She crept past busy kitchen staff and drunken guards until she made it into the records room.

A plump older woman sat lazily at the front desk. She wore bright blue lipstick that had smudged onto her wrinkled cheeks. Her sunken eyes darted from side to side, nose deep into her book.

"Excuse me.." Bubbles smiled.

The woman ignored her, licking her finger and turning the page.

"Pardon me, I'm interested in the king's battle records." Bubbles tried again still smiling.

The woman looked up at her above her book, rolling her eyes. "The record hall is closed until tomorrow. You're welcome back, until then have a wonderful night."

Bubbles sighed. "Listen I don't have time to come back tomorrow. I'm really sorry but the late hours are the only moments im free. I would really appreciate it if you could make this one exception. Pretty please."

"I'm 90 years of age my dear. Your fluttering eyelashes and pouted lips won't make me away your way anymore than it would anyone else."

"Well…" Bubbles smiled, framing her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "Then you must know who I am!"

"Let me guess, you're the king's fangirl. Just another busty blonde sitting on his lap, grasping for the taste of the throne life. How could I have been so foolish." The woman rolled her eyes, putting her book down and clasping her hands over it. "It doesn't matter if you were Yvonne Alatas, I'm still not making exceptions. The record hall. Is. Closed."

Bubbles frowned her brows and puffed her cheeks out, clenching her hands tight.

"I am Bubbles Lorse. Soon to be Bubbles Harvick. The very same Bubbles who has lived many more years than you and rode beside the very same Yvonne Alatas in the battle of Peace. So show your elders some respect and bring me the king's battle records!" She spit through a strained clenched smile.

The older woman rang a small Bell and picked her book back up. "Please feel free to repeat that all to the guards. If you make it out of your cell by Monday at noon, Cory Hulter will be having a dramatic reading of all the king's battles."

Two rough hands grabbed her arms and aggressively tugged her out of the room.

"Do you work tomorrow? I'll be here tomorrow. Here to kick your!" One of the guards clamped an armored hand over her mouth and deeper down the hall.

The laughter from before came to a halt as they began the climb to the dungeon. Bubbles arms grew sore as they lifted her just enough so her feet just grazed the stairs.

They threw her on a wet and sticky floor in the far back corner of the room. They hadn't bothered to lock or even close the cell door before they turned their heels and left the way they came.

Sitting on the wooden bench was a husky man, twirling a shimmering knife between his fingers.

"Don't worry, I know who you are. Bubbles." He smiled, his teeth sharpened to a point. "And I know what you are."


	8. Chapter 8

The day of the king's funeral the sky cried and the winds hollered in pain. The clouds dressed in black as they dragged their feet over the kingdom.

In the middle of the royal garden, the king's casket stood tall on a bed or dried twigs and leaves. I front of the casket Queen Morbucks stood tall with a blank expression on her face and no life in her eyes. Beside her Princess rocked on her knees crying out for her father, Brick crouched beside her holding onto her in a comforting manner.

With puffy eyes, they watched as MJ walked closer to the wooden casket and began to mark strange symbols along the from of it. He cleared his throat and turned back to the royal family and gave them a firm nod.

"Arthur Million Morbucks was the kindest, strongest and bravest king this land has ever been gifted. Born and raised within our walls he always did what was best for his people." MJ spoke clearly. "He was a faithful husband to his wife and a loving father to not only his daughter but all of his people. Arthur… Arthur was a dear friend of mine…" MJ did what most could assume was a sniffle and looked towards the ground. "Although he has only been gone from this world for a mere few days, it feels as though my whole world has crumbled, for he was the one single handedly turning this world. But the gods needed him more than I. May he watch over us and may we do him proud as we continue to grow under the land he's given to us."

A quiet choir of flutes played softly in the background as everyone paused to ask the gods for Arthur's safe journey.

MJ pressed his hand firmly and whispered to himself. The symbols on the casket shook and began to glow a bright amber colour. The rain around him stopped mid air and the winds blew up from under his feet. Slowly the casket was set ablaze. As smoke and ash filled the air they twisted higher, clinging on to each other before hardening into a glossy black stone. The more that burned the more details came to light until a tall smooth statue of King Morbucks stood in place of his resting corps.

"My husband loved this garden." Queen Morbucks began, walking over to the statue. "Between the chaos of ruling this kingdom, he would always be sure to keep this place as full of life as it was when he was crowned. This was the first place we met, the place he proposed and the place I first told him he'd be a father. He spent most of his free time here. It's only fitting we leave you to rest her for eternity." She placed a gentle hand to the statues cheek and rested her forehead to his chest. "I miss you already, my love." She whispered before taking a step back.

With a snap of his fingers MJ summoned the king's crown in a bubble just in front of the queen. Carefully Queen Morbucks removed the crown and placed it on the top of the statue. Short stoned vines shot out of the statues head and wrapped around the golden crown, fusing itself to it.

She embraced the king one last time before marching past her daughter and into the castle, disappearing behind closed doors.

MJ turned to Brick and lowered himself to his ear. "Perhaps you should escort Princess back inside and out of the cold rain. Although I know this is troubling times, there is still much to do. Sir Boomer for one requires your assistance."

Brick rolled his eyes and shrugged MJ away. "Let's get you into a hot bath, and perhaps tucked away into bed for the day." Brick whispered into Princess's ear, and helping her up off the cold muddy ground.

"I don't want to leave him… What if something happens. What if the storm breaks him. What if I lose him again.." Princess mumbled, grabbing fists full of grass, struggling to stay in place.

"Your father wouldn't want you to get sick because of him. Once the skies clear up again, I'll take you back so we may have a private moment to say goodbye without the rush of other events."

MJ gave her a crooked smile, "Besides all of that, you have an important trip to make in a few days. We need you looking your best."

Princess's eyes fell to the floor. "Right…"

Brick shot MJ a death look before, holding Princess tight and helping her walk back towards the castle. "Don't worry about that at the moment. What's important is taking care of you." He smiled, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Tell _**sir**_ Boomer, I'll see him tonight. When I'm ready." Brick growled.

"Oh course. _Sire._" MJ grumbled back, watching as the last of the royal family vanished inside their home.

He turned back the statue and frowned. "You denied me so much, but that changes now. You shut me out of Utonium's chambers, refused to let me read the book of spells and only ever used me as a parlor trick." MJ clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "In the end, I entered the room, learned his secrets and did things you couldn't even begin to imagine. I created life! Beings more powerful than your average man, all under my control."

MJ slapped his hands to his chest and growled. "I'm a better wizard than Utonium _EVER_ was. But you never could see it. Look where that got you. The blind man dies foolishly." He smirked, swinging back and kicking the statute hard.

His body shuddered on impact. He grabbed his toes and cursed under his breath dancing on one foot for a moment. "Once the crowning ceremony is completed I'll have you torn down and smashed to pieces. For a second time…"

Thick dark grey smoke curled around the garden, slithering like a snake and winding around MJs feet. A cold chill shot through his spine and sparked through his blood. It felt as if something hot and moist pressed to his ear, but when he looked back nothing was there.

"You talk a mighty big game, for someone who was gifted everything. From me." A wavy high pitched voice purred. "Don't forget what you promised me."

MJ grumbled and swatted at the smoke. "How could I forget when I hear your nagging voice reminding me in every corner."

"Watch your tone with me. I'll find some other miserable soul to do my bidding. Someone who can't screw up as greatly as you."

A hot burning feeling covered his body, as if a million needles pricked into MJs skin and began to bleed his very soul from his body.

"All great things come in threes, MJ. So tell me where my son is…"

MJ rolled his eyes, and bite his lip to muffle the pain and exhaustion that left his body. "The red one is to be king. Giving us easy access to to each pointed pillar across this land. I have given the blue one freedom to roam the city, spreading a special potion of mine so that no one may work against us."

"And the last one?" The voice purred.

"Last one?..."

"_**THE GREEN ONE! BUTCH.**_" It hissed, pushing MJ back with enough force to roll him away.

"Ah yes Butch… He is… He's…" MJ thought for a moment brushing his robes off. "Off on a secret mission, that I needed to send him off to." MJ nodded.

"Don't lie to me MJ. I truly do hate liars." The voice cooed. "I've spoken to him already, and apparently you've been keeping secrets from them MJ. I thought you had control."

"I do have control!" He yelled back.

"Than why are you so scared of telling them of the power they hold? The green one was simply amazed when he learned he is the father of stone. Does the red or blue ones know of what they can do?"

"In due time I'll tell them. But at the moment it can wait."

"MJ, you followed the recipe for a reason. If creating life was hard you mortals would have died off long ago. You chose to mold those boys from those stones for a reason. You gave them life, you can take it away. You're the boss, so start acting like it. Time is running dry, you can't afford to be late. Get things rolling by any means. That includes letting the boys work their magic."

MJ let out a quiet grumble as the smoke backed away the way it came from and disappeared out of sight.


	9. Chapter 9

Bubbles let out a stiffened giggle. She never had an official speech to everyone about where she came from or who she is. People have always come up with their own theories ranging from her being a god or being sent from the gods to help, to her just looking like whoever it was in the past. But this. This was a new one for her.

"Don't snicker at me, siren." The man growled. "I know your tricks. And I won't let you use them on me."

Bubbles shook her head. "I'm sorry you feel this way, really. But I'm not a siren. I'm not going to curse you or try any tricks. Is that why you dragged me down here all dramatically?" She roared with laughter.

"I was just going to have my men grab you in the morning. But once I heard you stomping around I couldn't pass on the opportunity. It worked even better after you harassed poor sweet Mable and she rang for my men directly. You see, since you've been gone."

The man stood up, twirling the knife in his hand. "I've noticed Henry hasn't been as strong. I've sent a few men to test him, and each time he just barely makes it. Makes you wonder how someone so weak was able to keep going…"

"Henry is not weak." Bubbles snapped.

"Don't act like you care. It's just us two. You don't have to lie to me. You picked Henry as some fool to feed off of once he was in charge. You couldn't do it yourself, so you used him. I've studied your people for years. I know everything about you."

The man ran his knife down her cheek, only for her to swat it away. A thin raised pink line taking its place.

Licking his lips he let out a long breath. "I don't want someone who's under a spell to be ruling me. And I'm sure it's best for the others to also get rid of him. So you're going to lift whatever spell you put on him, and you're going to leave this city."

"Or I could just kill you here. And no one would know." Bubbles suggest, rolling her eyes.

The man raised the knife once more, a sinister grin on his face.

"You kill me and my men will know. I have men working in all parts of this place." He waved the knife towards the entrance the two guards had just dragged Bubbles through.

"From the men 'protecting you' to the kitchen staff that prepares your food. If you truly do care for Henry like you claim, then I'm sure you want the least amount of harm to come to him." He shot her a smile, picking the knife between his fingers. "Right?"

"This isn't fair. You can't just threaten your way to the top. Henry worked hard, he trained and studied so he could make this place better for everyone!" Bubbles voice waves.

The man took a step closer to Bubbles once again, his chin raised high and his chest puffed out.

"He has a criminal manning the gate. Taking coins from people just so they can enter their home. Tell me how that's fair or just." He snapped. "And I'm sure the two of you haven't profited from it at all."He rolled his eyes.

"He only has someone watching the gate to keep an eye out and make sure some people don't get in. People like you!" She cried.

Henry was a good man. He wanted a better place for everyone. He turned the surface land into a place where visitors all over could visit happily and learn about Alatas. Crime had dropped significantly in the capital. Henry wouldn't lie about what's been done. Would he?

"But here I am! So tell me how well that worked." He spoke calmly. "The job as ruler of Alatas is having to deal with people challenging you. If you aren't strong enough to keep the title you can't just hide away. Alatas has rules for a reason."

"The rules are bullshit! Alatas rules include it being illegal to walk backwards towards the capital and making it so women can't do anything other than make babies and clean!"

Bubbles dug her nails into the palms of her hands, shaking with rage.

"If you think Henry shouldn't be ruler then challenge him to a fight! Challenge him instead of creeping around and slowly weakening him with petty tactics. But you won't, because you know just as well as I do that Henry is a strong man. Stronger than you!"

The man laughed. "Oh I'll challenge him to a fight. Just as soon as I know you're not helping him. I don't play with cheaters."

Bubbles shoved the man back, aggressively knocking him to the ground. He landed with a hard thud dropping the knife beside him trying to catch himself. With a quick kick she flung the knife back against the far wall and crouched to the man's level.

"Henry is a strong man on his own. He worked hard for everything he has. All I've done was stand by his side. If you studied me so well you know what I'm capable of. Don't threaten me. Or my husband again." She gritted through her teeth praying he couldn't see the fear in her eyes.

If he was telling the truth about so much of the staff working for him, she couldn't know who exactly she could trust. They were playing dirty, sending a lesser man to attack Henry over and over again without giving him a break. She wouldn't put it past him to have Henry be poisoned.

The man cleared his throat and locked eyes with the blonde woman leaning over him. "If you leave now and free Henry I'll think about letting him live after I'm done with him."

"You won't get the chance to touch him…" She slammed her fist beside his head

making a small hole of shattering stone around it.

"What did you think you could do? Siren or not you're still a woman. You lay a hand on me and it won't matter that you fought alongside side Yvonne. All they'll see is another criminal. Just some baby making whore forgetting her place and breaking the law. Then they'll have your head and Henry's. A man who can't keep his whore in place can't be trusted to keep us all in check."

Slowly he pushed her to the side and confidently stood up. Dusting his hands off on his pants, he flashed her a crooked smile. "No matter how you want to place this, you lose. You either leave here peacefully or the town center gets two new hanging decorations." He gritted.

Without another word the man left Bubbles alone. Crying out in anger and frustration. She never thought she'd feel this powerless, after so many years of being known as the all powerful.

Her walk back to the room felt never ending. The hall stretched longer with every step she took. She memorized each passing face making a mental note whose face matched what uniforme. Who had access to what rooms and tasks. Wondering who could be trusted and who was just another pawn playing on the opposite team.

The wave of exhaustion hit her when she closed the bedroom door behind her. Her legs didn't want to move but she forced herself to inch closer to the bed.

She clung to him tightly after crawling in bed that night. Tracing the raised scars with her nails, and matching her breathing to the soft pattern of his chest raising and falling.

Her mind stressed, flooding thoughts of ways to fix the situation. Her eyes burned red and salty tear streaks painted her cheeks. She pursed her lips and let out a breathy whisper. "Run away with me."

Henry shuttered from the sudden breeze on the back of his neck. He wiggled from her grasp and rolled so he was face to face with her. Still asleep he curled closer pressing his forehead to hers and reaching down to take her hand.

"I love you…" Bubbles whispered, focusing on the feeling of her hand in his. Her body pressed to his. The beat of his heart pumping against her chest, as their breathing synced together. The next few days were going to be complicated and messy. But all she wanted was for this feeling of him with her to last forever.

"I love you too…" Henry groggily let out.

Bubbles eyes shot open as Henry shifted out of bed beside her. She wasn't sure what time she had fallen asleep but it couldn't have been long ago. It was one thing she disliked about living under the sea. She was never sure what time it was. The lack of sun often dragged her down. Making it harder to wake up every day to the cold humid metal city.

She reached an arm out, feeling around on any part of Henry to grab a hold of. Her body exhausted to the point she could hardly move.

"Good morning my love." Henry smiled leaning back to kiss Bubbles forehead. "Why don't you rest longer. I'll go fetch breakfast and we can relax in bed." He squeezed her shoulder and ran his hand down her arm. Gently he raised her hand to his mouth and softly kissed her knuckles.

Bubbles grabbed his hand pulling him back with what strength her body could muster. "No. We have to talk before you leave this room." Her eyes shot to the door and back to Henry.

Henry poured. "I'm sorry Bubbles I really am. Everything is fine I promise. And I told you everything last night. I swear. Whatever you want to talk about I'm sure it could wait until after breakfast…" Henry ran a hand through his messy salt and pepper hair.

"No Henry." She got up and quietly walked to the door, cracking it open to see if anyone was close enough to hear. "Last night I was forced into the dungeon by guards who are working against you…" She whispered.

"That's foolish. I know everyone here personally, why would they work against…"

"Shhh!" She hissed putting a finger to his mouth. "They're working for the short man who thinks I put a spell on you."

Bubbles took Henry's hand and guided him back to the bed. "He thinks I'm some sort of siren. Thinks I'm helping you and that's why you lived through all those fights…" Her eyes lingered on the pale pink stitched markings across his chest.

"Did he hurt you?"

Bubbles shook her head. "No. He told me to leave the city, leave you. He wants to challenge you to a fight when I'm gone. But I'm afraid he's going to try something else first. He claims to have people working all throughout the kingdom. He said if I tried anything he'd have his men kill you. You can't trust anyone!" She hissed. "What if they do something to make you weaker so he wins the fight. Henry we should just leave. That way no one gets hurt."

Henry shook his head and cupped Bubbles face. "I can't leave Bubbles. If I leave then he wins. And if he's nasty enough to do dirty tricks like this then he certainly isn't fit to rule so many innocent lives."

He kissed her forehead softly. "But I'll stay aware. I'll prepare my own food and even hire someone to try it before I do. So if anything happens I'll know. Change the law so guards are forbidden from hiding their faces so if anyone tries anything we will know exactly who it is. I'll talk to Gavin about putting some of his men inside the walls so they can monitor who's doing what."

"Gavins people let this man in, who's to say they won't betray you."

"Fair point…" He rubbed his thumb along her cheek and smiled. "No fear my dear. We will figure it out. And we will put an end to it."

"I love you…" Bubbles whimpered unable to meet his eyes. He was trying so hard to stay strong and reassure her. But her worries still swirled in her gut.

"I love you my queen." Henry smiled, putting his forehead to hers.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been almost ten years since Princess last visited Grundairia. Back then the trade road wasn't quite finished. Shopping stalls would pop up along the dry grass and trickles of sand, threatening to tip over on top of the people who browsed their goods. Now a smooth flat stone path ran straight through the border of the two kingdoms. A mix of smells and colors danced together down the path, each stall different from the last.

"We're nearing the grass field of Grundairia, we'll be stopping shortly to change the wheels." The coachman called from outside.

"Halfway way there…" Princess smiled at Brick. His eyes stayed glued to the burning sands outside the carriage. The collar to his shirt stuck to his neck from sweat and his hair sat in a tangled mess on the top of his head.

Princess cleared her throat and tilted her chin up glancing at her husband from the side. "Seeing as we're stopping on the trade road, perhaps we should find a gift for Hector and Vivian." She suggested, fiddling with her coin purse.

"I read that a gift from the visiting kingdom is the formal exchange when meeting a royal family for the first time." Brick raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought that was why I was told to bring the cactus wine?"

Princess giggled, "what? I mean you're correct but Hector and Vivan are practically family. The Grilbend and Grundairia Kingdoms have always been close. Formalities are tossed to the wind when we're together. The cactus wine is because it's Hector's favorite."

The last time she had been there, her father and Hector had started hallucinating after drinking through six bottles of Cactus wine. Vivan and her mother had spent the night drunkenly dancing until all four adults had passed out in the dining hall. The few days they had been there had been a never ending party inside the castle, and a day off for everyone outside.

"Maybe a separate gift for them both will leave a good first impression." Brick spoke to himself.

Princess took Brick's hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "Vivan and Hector will love you no matter what. They love me and I love you! No need to worry about making a good first impression. You can just relax for the next few days. Lord knows we both need it…"

Brick gave her hand a light squeeze. "I'm sorry about your father. He was a kind man."

"We can't change what happened. It's important that we keep looking forward…" She pulled away from Brick and looked out the window as the carriage hit the lip of the road's entrance. She couldn't afford to sulk like her mother.

After the funeral her mother locked herself in her room. She refused to eat or speak. No one has even seen her face since she closed the doors to her room. With her father dead, her mother was the one looking after the kingdom. But Grilbend can't be ruled by someone who can't look after themselves.

Brick rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Anyways… How about you tell me more about Vivan and Hector. What do they like?" His eyes skipped from stall to stall briefly looking over the goods for sale as their carriage scrapped across the road.

"Vivans favorite flowers are blue slippers. They're only found at the base of Tamiliu. Most stall keepers won't show them if they have them. So we'll have to ask around. As for Hector there used to be a stall that sold odd looking instruments and music boxes, I know he'd love something from there."

Brick looked back at the sun. "We're a little ahead of schedule, but it might be faster if we split up."

Princess shook her head. "We're not splitting up. Everything you know about these lands you read in a book. We split up and you're going to get scammed or get lost. Besides, a walk together might be nice. This is the longest we've been alone." A blush crept from her shoulders to her cheeks.

"We're alone every night we sleep." Brick rolled his eyes, pushing open the door.

"That doesn't count." Princess huffed, taking his hand for support out of the carriage. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Please do."

"It feels like since we got married, you've been avoiding me. Like just because we're married I'm not important." Princess whispered. She hooked her arm through Brick's and snuggled closer to his chest, avoiding eye contact with him.

"I never meant to make you feel like that. You're still important to me, you're my wife." He lied, looking straight ahead. "Until I had met you I was half of who I was. The moment I laid eyes on you I knew I had found the missing piece to my life." His words came out rough and robotic as if he were reading it off a note. It didn't seem as though Princess had noticed as she smiled and melted closer to him, her heart a flutter.

The couple continued down the road, weaving between busy people and rushing carts. The trade road had become more organized than the last time Princess was there. Stalls full of unique spices from around the land were set up near the entrance to Grilbend. Wooden figures, cotton dolls and other hand crafted gifts were next on their path.

"PUFFLINGS!" Princess cheered, picking up her skirt and running towards a sweet smelling stall.

Trays of steaming golden and round puffed pastries sat out on display. An elder lady behind the stall sprinkled powdered sugar over top some while garnishing others with exotic berries and mint leaves.

"Welcome to Pam's Pufflings. Freshly made in front of your eyes." The woman gestured to a small clay oven with a bright burning flame under it.

Princess beamed. "Two tins please!"

She turned to her husband, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer to the stall. "Oh Brick you have to try one! They're amazing! The best baked goods in all the land!" She smiled watching as the lady gently placed a mix of pastries in each tin.

The elder woman blushed at Princess's words. "Please dear, you're making this old bag feel young again. You know this stall was King Morbucks favorite. Everytime he passed this border he would buy enough to feed an entire army." She pocketed the coins and handed two tins tied together with a dark silk ribbon to Brick. "I brought extra ingredients after hearing royals from Grilbend would be traveling through. I was hoping to see the king by now. My bones are getting older and I grow tired faster than I used to. It would be a shame to pack up forever without saying goodbye to my favorite customer." The woman shielded her eyes from the sun, looking past Princess.

"The king passed recently. I'm afraid he won't be showing." Princess looked down.

"That's terrible. My heart and prayers go to his wife and child. Such sweethearts they were. Never met a more happy family. Maybe I'll have some delivered to the castle…" The woman mumbled, shuffling around in a crate behind her.

"We're traveling to Grundairia for the next day or so. Why don't we grab some more to bring back to Grilbend with us?" Brick asked, taking out his own coin purse. "I'll take three crates worth. That should be enough for the staff as well as some citizens. Wouldn't you agree Princess?"

Princess glowed and bit her lip to keep from squealing. "That would be more than enough! Oh what a wonderful idea!" She wrapped her arms around Brick jumping into his embrace and nearly making him drop the two tins they had just purchased.

The woman tapped on her head for a moment before nodding. "Three crates. I can do that. It will take roughly an hour to complete."

Brick snaked his free arm around Princess's hip. "We'll be back. That gives us enough time to look for a present for Hector and Vivan."

The two continued their walk down the trade road, until they came across an expensive travelers stall. A glass case full of coins from each kingdom sat in the middle of the stall for all to view. Vines full of pointed fruits wrapped around the side bars and glowing stones dangled from the roof. Behind it all was a cloaked figure hunched over in their seat. Thick dark curly hair hid most of their face with only a pair of thin lips and a dark eye patch that could be seen. And behind them a heavy black curtain to keep onlookers from seeing his more secret goods.

"My… Look at your eyes. You seem like the kind who hunts for a higher prize." The man whispered.

Although the man didn't move to look at anyone specifically Brick knew it was him he was talking about. A chill shot up his spine and his legs began to move on their own. Beckoned by the man's voice.

"I've been everywhere. From the frozen wall of Tamiliu to the underwater home of the Alatas. Anything you could desire I can get. For a price of course." He smirked.

"You've been all the way to the Tamiliu walls!" Princess eyes grew wide. "What was it like? Could you breath? I heard the reason it was sealed off was because the air was so thin people just died from going there!"

The man chuckled, digging in his cloak for a long tattered map. "Believe it or not, people roam in that snow. Living day to day like us. Although the wall is thick the people are loud." He leaned in closer. "Here I hold a map to a hole in the wall. Where the ice is just clear enough to peer inside. With the right tools one could even break through the wall. I even acquired a traditional Tamiliu outfit from a passing friend…" He grinned, rolling out the map to show the couple.

The map itself looked as though someone had given an old piece of paper for a child to scribble across. None of the written legible and the dots that mark the path covered most of the page without any landmark distinctions.

"Not interested. But we are looking for a special flower. One found near Tamiliu." Brick snarled, pushing the map away from him.

"Oh I see. You haven't a taste for adventure." The man paused, licking his lips. "No. Your heart is closer to home." He shook his head letting out a breathy chuckle. "No not heart. You don't have a heart."

"Stop wasting our time. Come on Prinny, this man is nothing but a scam." Brick grumbled, tugging his wife's hand. His feet refused to move, still drawn to the mysterious trader in front of him.

"Wait!" The man hissed. "I have blue slippers. I'll even give you the friends and family discount. 936 Grilbend coins." He smiled, tucking the map back into his cloak.

Brick snarled his lip. "Hardly a deal."

"It is not an easy task to climb the Tamiliu mountains. Even if the flower blooms at the bottom, there are still many dangerous creatures and harsh winds to fight through."

Princess placed a hand on Brick's chest and gave him a reassuring smile. "I can cover it. Besides with the flowers I'm sure you'll make an impressive first impression with Vivian."

"Fine." He mumbled.

The man chuckled disappearing behind a dark curtain for a moment before reappearing with a beautiful crystal vase full of glowing blue slipper flowers.

"Smells like winter. They're perfect!" Princess said, taking in a deep breath. "How did you get them to stay so perfect. Almost as if they're untouched by everything around them!"

"All in the vase my dear. Blessed by a mage to keep whatever is inside thriving and full of life. Almost as if their roots are still planted in the frozen soil. But be careful. Touch a petal while the flower is thriving and you'll be frozen forever.

Princess dug around in her purse for a moment before removing a sparkling black jewel. "The fetch price for a reapers tear is roughly 1000 Grilbend coins. That should be enough to cover it, yes?" She smirked.

The man quickly snatched the jewel and gave it a slow long lick. "Salty. Like tears. Taste like people grieving." He quickly pocketed the jewel and handed the vase to Princess. "Enjoy, my queen."

"Why don't I hold those?" Brick asked, quickly taking the vase from Princess and giving her the tins before guiding her away from the stall.

"Now we have to find _something_ for Hector. We can't just bring Vivian a present and not him."

Brick looked back up at the sun and sighed. They had already wasted enough time to put them behind schedule. Perhaps he could convince Princess to just buy one of those dolls or glass paintings back where they left the carriage.

Looking back at Princess he was caught off guard for a moment. She had a shining smile on her face as she spoke. The sun beamed down on her in such a way she quite literally glowed. She seemed so happy walking beside him. He was mildly impressed by how easily she continued on with her life after her father had passed. After speaking with Boomer and MJ, he was happy she didn't crawl in a ball like her mother had.

The more time he spent with her the more he learned about her. From their first meeting Princess was just a spoiled brat who would bat her eyelashes to get anything she wanted. Rumors in the city spoke crudely about her, the way she slept around with someone new every night. But those rumours had been started by jealous citizens. Princess never showed it at first but she was as kind as she was beautiful.

She remembered the small things about the people around her. After every meal she stacked the dishes in the same manner Gabriella would when gathering them, to make it easier for her. She remembered every staff member's birthday and would stay up late crafting a card and gathering ingredients for their favorite dish.

Each morning she asked the gardener to bring her a bouquet of the biggest bloomed sandroses so she could hand them out to the early workers in the city. She never had a problem with paying any price they asked for what she wanted and although she wasn't the most patient person she never acted rude to others while waiting. She may have gotten snippy and whined to her father, but she never dared to act that way in front of others. She understood each job was important and tried her best to treat everyone on an equal level.

She was a lot like her mother in that way.

She was soft and softer things crumbled the easiest.

"There! It's a different man than I remember but the sign is the same. You'll never find a more beautiful song than the ones played from his boxes."

Brick gaze followed where Princess was pointing, over to a rickety old wooden table. A coloured sign painted with children's handprints and sloppy flowers wiggled out of place with each passing breeze.

"Looks like they don't sell instruments anymore. My father bought a guitar from here once. He was awful at it. But that never stopped him. He would play with all his heart and sing until dawn. My mother on the other hand is a very skilled musician. But she doesn't play very often. My father would tell me stories of when they were younger. He would sneak into the gardens every time he heard her play."

A faint blush crept to her cheeks. "That's how they met you know? My mother was out in the garden playing her song. And my father who was just some village boy at that time had heard and wanted to see who was playing. So he climbed the gates and snuck onto castle grounds. They both claimed it was love at first sight. Kind of like us. Love at first sight." She tucked closer to Brick her heart racing.

"Your father was a village boy?"

"Apparently. His parents both died when he was young. He would help out at different shops in return for food and shelter. After he started sneaking around with my mother a counselor man took him in. Taught him all the formalities and raised him to be a proper young gentleman. All so one day if he wanted, he could marry the queen."

Brick raised an eyebrow. "So a simple villager could never marry a royal?"

Princess shook her head. "Not formally no. Royals are given the highest of education so that no matter what situation they have the knowledge on how to weigh so that they may make the best possible choice. That's not to say you can't love a villager if you're a royal. Queen Darcy and King Grant were never in love even though they were married. The two actually had lovers on the side and it was never a secret. They had separate rooms and separate families. Their titles and marriage was simply for the kingdom. The two together raised the kingdom out of a period of depression and starvation. And because they both held a title of power even though their children were bastard children they were both granted the opportunity to study and work within the kingdom."

"So how come you and I were able to wed?"

"That's a silly question. Even though you're from a far off land you're still royalty. The youngest brother. Last in line to the throne of Lleh. But still royal none the less."

"Right…" Brick gritted his teeth. MJ had done most of the work in writing his _'past'_. MJ had just skimmed through the story with him. So a lot was still unknown. If anyone asked a question he wasn't sure how to answer he usually found some way out of it.

"I could see you two eyeing my stand from back there." A chubby man smiled as the two finally arrived at the music table. "Business has been slow since my parents passed, and unfortunately none of my siblings nor I know how to craft instruments or music boxes quite like they did. Because of that all sales are finally, and this is all the stock we have left."

The man waved his hands above three simplistic looking boxes. The one to the left was a pale brown colour with a perfectly symmetrical heart burned on the center of the lid. The box on the right was painted completely white, stars and flowers were carved out all over the box itself, just deep enough to be seen if you focus hard enough. The one in the middle stood out the most. It was made of a dark wood and glistened with a varnish finish.

"May I hear them?" Princess asked, reaching out to pick one up.

The man slapped her hand away and smacked his lips. "No touching until the purchase has been made. These are the very last ones to ever be made, so I cannot risk anyone breaking it."

"I don't care if these were made out of angels glass. Don't you dare ever lay hands on the princess like that again." Brick growled.

"We're on Grundairia's border. A second hand title from the neighboring kingdom means nothing."

"It's fine Brick. We'll talk to the king and queen about how this man has treated us today." Princess grumbled. "Now, could you open the boxes for us. So that way we can hear." Princess asked.

The man chuckled and nodded, opening the first box. As the lid lifted the sweet sound of a bird singing began to play as two birds flying to each other spun in place.

"A perfect gift for any beautiful woman. The song is the exact song that a blue hearted bird sings after finding its soulmate. It's rumored that if you hear this song on your wedding day your love will never perish. Not even after death."

"It's very beautiful. But it's not the right fit for Hector."

The man nodded opening the middle box. An intense drum beat began to play followed by a dancing flute melody. Inside a Grundairian warrior danced around a wooden flame, slowly rising and falling to the beat. The warrior began to dance faster as a soft voice started singing a song of sorrow.

"My father crafted this one after losing his great grandmother. She was a warrior when she was younger, and lived to be almost 200 years old. The song that plays is actually her singing. It was a song sung for those who passed, to help give them the strength they needed to find their way to the after life."

Princess tapped her chin. "Maybe… Hector does like history and the beat of the song seems like something he'd enjoy. Let's hear the last one!"

Nodding the man opened the last box. A cheerful melody played, sounding as if each instrument were talking to each other. On the inside two figures held onto each other, dancing and clinking the glasses in their hand together. It looked as if someone had began to carve a face into the wooden people as they had a thin line for a mouth and one figure had what someone could assume was the beginning of an eye.

"My mother didn't get the chance to finish this one. Although the song is wonderful it's rather dull to look at. She had a hard time finishing something properly. The least she could have done is finish painting the outside before she began carving the people. The paint job is even sloppy. To be fair to her, she was dying at the time. She just didn't know it."

The way the man spoke made Princess uneasy. She forced herself to shake away the feeling. "Are they all priced the same?" Princess asked, digging out some coins from her purse.

"Let us say… 100 coins each?" The man grinned.

"Alright. Could you wrap up the last one there for me?"

"Certainly."

"Is Hector crafty? Why the unfinished one?" Brick questioned.

"The song is fun, and the two people drinking and dancing remind me of Hector and my father. Hector probably knows of someone who could paint the two together. That way he will always have something that reminds him of my father."

"That's very kind of you."

"My father was a kind man. He was important to many people and the loss of his life will leave a ripple in all of our hearts. Having his statue has been a comfort. He's still there for me. I can feel his energy and his memory every time I see it. My father and Hector were best friends. I'm sure he'll want something that has part of his energy and memory too to remember him by."

Brick rubbed the back and his neck and sighed. "If we can find some paint, I could paint the two on the figures…" He whispered.

Princess blinked back at him, surprised by his words. "You? Paint?"

Brick blushed and nodded. "Back in… lleh? While my father was busy with my other brothers."

_Flashes of memories of MJ dragging his brothers out of the cell flooded his mind._

"I wouldn't have anything better to do. So one day I found some paint."

_Tears streamed down a young boys cheeks. He laid curled in a ball looking at a wall while his brothers painted screams from another room hit him like a dagger._

"It was a way to keep busy. Keep myself distracted…"

_The boy dipped his finger in the pool of blood that poured from him onto the stone below. And began tracing a messy picture of a family. Four people all holding hands and smiling._

"After awhile I got really good at it. Decorated my room's walls with detailed paintings of life outside the castle. Eventually my youn… older brother would join me while painting on his days… off…"

_The young boy clutched to his brother, holding his head tightly against him and covering his ears. The screams and cries of his other brother continously banging on the cell door._

"I just hope you don't mind if I don't use the color red. Orange is fine. But nothing too bright and crimson. It was never my favorite…"

_Soon the walls were covered in stained pictures of a happy family, blooming flowers, sunny skies and baby animals. All done in red._

"Well Hector has dark hair and we'll just put them in basic clothing! We can avoid red. I always preferred the colour purple anyways!" Princess chimed.

She took the paper wrapped box and walked with Brick back to the carriage, stopping on the way to grab a small container of bold coloured paints and a small paint brush. They loaded the gifts into the small compartment on the back of the carriage and tied the three crates to the roof before climbing back in and continued down the road before entering the path to Grundairia's capital.

Grundairia lands and Grilbend lands were similar in many ways. Grilbend was an empty space full of nothing but hot sand with the expectation of a few sparse flowers and stone cities. Grundairia too had very few wildlife and plants to be seen other than green grass that flowed over the hills like water. Instead of stone cities Grundairia was the home to hundreds of farm lands. With the capital city in the middle of it all.

The energy in the city seemed different from the last time Princess had visited. The citizens refused to look as they passed by, and children ran to hide in alleys and their homes. Shop windows were boarded up and closed signs were nailed to every second door.

The gates to the castle were heavily guarded, and the steel bars were now replaced by thick metal sheets, keeping outsiders from seeing in. Blood splatters and ashes speckled the streets around.

Growing more and more uncomfortable with what she was seeing Princess tied the curtains closed so she could no longer see the outside and demanded Brick to do the same.

A muffled argument started as the coachman explained the reason for their visit to one of the guards by the main gates. A hard smack followed by a ruffle of papers echoed down the now empty street before finally the gates opened.

Inside the castle grounds were no better. All plant life laid dried and dead on the ground. Beaten and bruised staff scrubbed the stone paths from blood that dripped from pained heads on stakes.

As they rolled by, the staff threw what clothing they could spare over the heads to hide from their visitors. Once the coast was cleared a group of guards escorted the two to the castle's entrance.

"From how you spoke I imagined this place much different." Brick whispered, gripping Princess's hand with a bone crushing force so they two could not be separated.

"No talking." A guard spoke, jabbing Brick in the back with the butt end of his spear.

Brick growled and Princess placed her hand on top of the hand holding hers. Fear swirled in her eyes but she continued to walk with her head held high and gave him a reassuring smile.

The doors swung open with a loud creak, revealing a smug looking blonde man and a very pregnant brunette.

"Ah! My cousin Kingdom! So nice to finally meet you!" The blonde spoke, raising his arms wide for a hug. "My apologies for the less than presentable scenery. No one mentioned your visiting. I'm still learning things as we go, my parents didn't exactly leave me any instructions before they died."

"Hector and Vivian are dead?" Princess squeaked.

"Only a year or so ago. We had a… disagreement. We didn't see eye to eye on a matter. So I thought maybe if we switched their eyes for another pair perhaps they would finally agree with me. Of course stabbing a rusted blade into one's eye is terribly dangerous. Vivian bledel out and Hector soon passed from the infection. It was long overdue. Their passing wasn't much of a loss." The man laughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Princess looked the man over. He was practically a Male version of Vivan. Same flowing blonde hair and wide green eyes. His nose pointed out and crooked to the right just as hers had. The way he carried himself was very different from both Vivan and Hector. He looked to be a little older than Princess, although she had never met or even heard about this man.

"Vivan never spoke about any children. You look a lot like your mother." Princess voice waved.

"Unfortunately…" The man frowned. "Please join me for dinner. Let us use this time to get to know one another better…" he stepped to the side enough to make room for the two to walk by, guards still to their back.


	11. Chapter 11

"_**Warning this chapter mentions sexual trauma, I've inserted a line before and after if you wish to skip it."**_

The inside of the forest was like a whole other perfect planet. Butch finally understood why it worked so hard to keep it hidden from everyone else. From the outside it appeared dark and mysterious. Too dense to see through all the bush and all too quiet for anything to be living. But on the inside it was a paradise, crafted perfectly for all life inside. Rays of sun beamed through tree leaves and sparkled in the clear creek water. Plants of all kinds bloomed out beautifully and widely; curling around tree trunks and clinging to warm rocks. Bright and bold colors painted the grounds and trailed after the singing birds that soared through the air.

This place was so different from all the others. Everything in Grilbend seemed bland and beige. Tamiliu was impossible to see anything through all the white snow. Grundairia was nothing but open fields of corn and wheat, and Alatas always seemed grey and damp from the rain.

Besides the wondrous environment, the forest was a nice change of pace. It was a different kind of busy. A calm busy with rushing waters, buzzing bugs and singing birds. Even with the so called Witch and Savages, Butch never felt the need to look over his shoulder. For once he found a place that didn't leave an iron taste in his mouth.

"Dang nabbit…" Fuzzy's voice dragged Butch's thoughts back down.

The thin old man was ankle deep in the creek. His rolled up coveralls soaked to the waist after chasing small fish and fat frogs for their dinner. He struggled on his way back to the river's bank, slipping on algae covered stones and slick mud.

Fuzzy fell back hard next to Butch in the grass, an uncomfortable squish sound escaping as he landed.

The raven haired man peeked over at him and chuckled. "So did you find any signs of the village yet or are we camping here for the night?"

Fuzzy shook his head. "No village. No food. No shelter. We ain't camping here. I say we wonder west towards the edge of this place and see if we can find somewhere to crash until we catch a sign of that place."

Butch closed his eyes and laid back, folding his hands behind his head. "I'm comfortable here. The breeze is nice and the sun is warm."

"We're out in the open. It'd be easy for em to see us. Besides the sun don't stay out all nig-..." He paused wide eyed and leaned forward.

Butch Flinched as the man beside him suddenly shot up and ran down the side of the creek.

Fuzzy mumbled something that sounded like words before smashing his nose to the ground. He crawled around the bank on his hands and knees, nose pressed to the dirt. He sniffed loudly circling around Butch, crawling to the tree and back down to the creek.

Butch peeked at the man and watched in horror and disgust as Fuzzy scooped a hand full slimy mud and stuffed it in his mouth. The man gurgled the sludge before swallowing with an audible gulp.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Butch gagged. His face twisting in disgust.

Fuzzy smiled, grains of rock and strips of algae clung to what teeth he had left. "We're near." He whispered, licking his front tooth.

"Near what?" Butch regrettably sat up and leaned forward to hear the man better. He gagged again as he watched what one could assume was a snail wave out from behind a wiggling tooth.

Fuzzy scooped more mud and waddled over to Butch. "The village! Here taste!" Fuzzy shoved his hands to Butch's face.

"Not happening." He pushed the old man's hands away from his face and helped himself up. "How can you tell anyways?"

Fuzzy hacked up some dirt and smiled. "Ma papi was the world's greatest hunter. He could smell the difference between a female and male boar all while napping in his chair. Most of my skills came naturally. Pumping through ma blood." He spoke proudly, slapping his chest.

"And what I didn't know he taught me. Took me hunting every night. Until that damn bear got em." Fuzzy shook his head. "But papi didn't go down without a fight. Took that bear with him and left us enough food for the winter and fur to keep us warm."

Butch pushed himself off the ground ignoring Fuzzys out reached hand. The two gathered what little they had and made their way east towards the center of the woodland. Butch followed closely behind as Fuzzy lead them over moss covered logs and fields of mushrooms.

"Grilbend doesn't get that cold. Are you from Tamiliu then?" Butch asked, thinking back to the unnecessary lessons MJ forced him and his brothers to take.

Fuzzy shook his head. "Nah. I was born in Grundairia. In a small village near the border of Tamiliu. We got hot summers and cold winters. A perfect mix of it all."

"You traveled far then to get here. How did you get yourself in that cave?"

Butch ducked under low hanging branches, widning the gap between him and Fuzzy, as the short old man happily skipped under it all.

"After ma ma died I decided to leave." He yelled back to Butch, not missing step. "I got a sister but she left to be with some traveling musician so I didn't have no one left back there. After roaming these lands I settled down on the smallest island in Alatas."

"Why there?" Butch grumbled as Fuzzy let go a branch letting swing straight into Butch's face.

"I met my beautiful wife there. Heather. Heather Pollen." A soft smile tugged at his lips. "She could gut a fish better than anyone I've ever known. We got married there and had our daughter Polly Lumpkins not too long after. Happiest I've ever been was in that small house with those two."

"If you were so happy there how'd you end up all the way out here?" Butch asked nearly toppling into the man as he stopped abruptly.

* * *

"I left to save my family." Fuzzy's eyes glazed over. "Alatas rules are a lot different than the other kingdoms. The only thing that matters is strength. If you ain't strong you ain't nothing…" tears poured down his face. "The strong could take whatever they wanted."

He took in a sharp breath.

"It wasn't too bad on the surface. Most of us were poor and understood the manners of hard work. It was them water breathers you had to look out for. Always thinking they're better than everyone else." He swallowed hard. His throat burned as he struggled not to cry.

"I wasn't the only one who thought my wife was beautiful. Some water breather with his nose so far up in the air he could've worn his ass like a hat also had his eye on her. He stalked her from work to home, hollering after her. Making crude comments and getting aggressive when she ignored him. I wanted to step in." He shook his head.

"I should've stepped in." He whispered, looking down at his feet. "But Heather assured me it was fine. That the water breather wouldn't be here for long. They never were." He shook his head. "I shoulda known better…"

He swallowed hard, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. "I came home from work one night. Our door busted in. Ma daughter screaming and crying in her crib. Once I knew Polly was fine I started running around, calling out for my wife.

I found her in our room. That damned water breather on top of her…." He gritted his teeth shaking the image from his head.

"I'll never forget that man's face. And I made sure my wife would never see it again. I couldn't let something like that happen ever again. Couldn't let ma baby grow up in a place where that happens. So I took em and left. No destination in mind. no money to ma name."

Butch shuffled from foot to foot, not knowing what to say. He knew if he were in his place he would've done the same. Probably even sooner.

Fuzzy's eyes snapped back and he continued walking through the woods as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"We had been traveling for a while. My wife was hungry. I was hungry. So I left them in our camp to do what I do best. I was determined to bring back a feast. I didn't know these woods were off limits." Fuzzy admitted.

Butch crouched down to give Fuzzy a boost up over a fallen bolder and pulled himself up after him.

"Ma papi and I were hunters. Sure we killed things but we were still men of respect. We understood you can't hunt a species to its death. We wouldn't dream of wasting anything. Skins and fur were used to make clothes or blankets. Every cut of meat could be cooked and eaten, you were never allowed to be fussy."

Butch nodded in agreement. If he was ever fussy over what MJ gave them he would have starved long ago. Although now he has the luxury of eating anything he pleases, he still scarfed down his meals like they were his last. After everything he had been through, his body wouldn't allow him to waste anything.

"Once I was locked away in the cave I tried apologizing. I meant it. I truly did. But the Witch wouldn't listen." Fuzzy grumbled.

"How do you know there's a witch guarding this place?" Butch asked.

"You ever got lost in a maze? You can always get out even if it takes a bit of time. Keep your right hand to a wall and just follow along. But no matter how long I walked I always ended back in the same place. That's not on nature. That's on something magical. Caves don't just have an entrance but no exit."

Fuzzy held up a hand to stop Butch and crouched behind a prickly bush. Angry shouting could be heard approaching them just past the line of trees in front of them.

"What's happening?" Butch asked, moving around to try to get a peek past all the leaves.

Fuzzy grabbed the man's shirt and pulled him to the ground. "The savages are arguing. We gotta be quiet." He whispered. "The village is close. We have to be careful or else they'll kill us…"

Staying crouched Fuzzy ran from the bush to a larger tree closer to where the shouting came from. He peered out from behind the trunk at two young men bickering, just far enough their words didn't come out clear.

A lot less quite Butch followed behind Fuzzy, peeking out at the strangers. He leaned over the old man's shoulder.

"I bet I could take them. If this is what the savages look like it should be no problem taking this place over." Butch scuffed.

"It won't matter how weak they are, they have more people."

"Who's to say there's more than just those two fools." Butch smirked.

Fuzzy thought for a moment. Just as he opened his mouth to respond the ground around them began to shake and booming steps marched over to them. No not them, but the strangers bickering.

A man almost the size of the trees around him seemed to appear out of nowhere. The man's hair draped down his toned back in a silky braid and swept just past the waist of a thick leather skirt.

Although his voice was loud and demanding, the two couldn't quite make out the words he was saying. Whatever the man said seemed to get the other two to stop their fighting. The two bowed and left with the large man, leaving the forest quite literally shaking in their steps.

Fuzzy laughed, punching Butch hard in the shoulder. "Still think you can fight that!" He mocked. "Did you see the size of him! He makes you look like me!" Fuzzy grabbed his thin wrist and waved it in Butch's face.

Butch grumbled under his breath. "Yeah well can he destroy rock with just his fists?"

"I bet he could crumble a mountain with just a look!" Fuzzy jabbed his elbow into Butch's ribs.

Shoving past the hysterically laughing man, Butch stumbled out onto the path they watched the giant leave on.

The path was made of smooth tan wood and seemed to run endlessly from either side. It flowed smoothly, not a single knot in the wood as it winded through the forest. Overgrown grass and flowers brushed the edges of the path and wet footprints darkened the thin layer of dirt on top.

Butch stood both feet inside the giant man's singular footprint, while Fuzzy stumbled out beside.

"For savages they're pretty crafty." Butch chuckled scoffing his shoe on the path.

Fuzzy nodded, running a hand over the fine craftmanship. "I ain't seen something so well put together since leaving Alatas."

Soft footsteps and quiet voices walked up the path towards them, making Fuzzy jump. The old man dove to the bushes hiding behind large dark leaves, leaving Butch standing unbothered by the sounds of strangers approaching.

"What are you doing kid! Get back here or else they'll eat you!" Fuzzy hissed, shaking the bush beside him.

Butch rolled his eyes and smiled at the shaking old man. He rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck. "I'm not scared of some dirty wood people. We deserve to be out here. And I'll be damn sure we get the chance to take what's ours!" He growled.

At this point Butch wasn't sure if he wanted to take over because he truly felt he deserved it, or because he wanted to prove he could.

Fuzzy wrinkled his nose. "Don't be foolish. Get down here. We've lived this long, let's not die now. The forest and it's people are powerful in ways you wouldn't know!" Fuzzy hissed, reaching an arm out and grasping for Butch.

Between all their bickering they missed the four people marching up behind them.

Four surprised women blinked between the man standing in front of them and the fool peeking from the bushes.

A taller woman dressed in a furry knee long dress and no shoes stepped forward. She bowed to the men and smiled. "Hello, my name is May. You two seemed frightened and lost, so allow me to be the first to say welcome." Her words came out surprisingly fluently, for speaking modern Grilbend.

Butch grumbled. "We're not scared."

A chubby blonde bounced beside May. "The wrinkled boy in the bush looks pretty scared to me!" She giggled.

The taller one placed a hand to the blonde's head and held her in place. She spoke an odd language to her, making the blonde frown and apologize to the two men.

A woman with wild dark hair smirked at the blonde. "Forgive my sister, it's Alicia's first time seeing a stranger." She reached a hand out to the men and smiled. "My name is Gracelyn."

A bald woman pushed past the others, a goofy smile on her face. "I'm Megan! It's an honor to be one of the first to greet a stranger." She paused for a moment and narrowed her eyes. "We are the first you've met? I mean no one sounded an alarm or prepared the feast…" She tapped her chin thinking.

May shook her head. And turned back to the other women, speaking in the strange language once more. The other women nodded and took a step back.

"If you would like we could bring you back to our village. Our chief will be very excited to know you're here." May explained, reaching a hand out.

Fuzzy narrowed his eyes at the women and whispered to Butch. "They'll take us and cook us…" He hissed.

Alicia giggled tugging on her sister's arm and whispering something in her ear, earning her a stern look from Gracelyn.

May took a step back, spreading her arms to push her sisters back. "I see you're not ready just yet. When you are ready, follow the path up to the village. We'll be waiting for you…" she smiled, scooting past the men carrying back up the path.

Butch stared blankly after the women dropping his fists to his side. Fuzzy climbed out of the bushes beside him watching the giggling girls disappear behind a bundle of trees.

"No point in hiding anymore. Once they get there, everyone is going to know we're here." Butch sighed. "Well on to my plan. Let's go in full force!" He grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Fuzzy shook his head. "Did ya hear what they said. Something about a feast. They probably mean we are the feast. The best thing we can do is hide."

"Or we hit them before they get time to prepare?" Butch suggested, marching aftering the women.

"I ain't going with you!" Fuzzy yelled, stopping his feet like an upset child.

Butch waved the man away. "Come back tomorrow and I'll be running this place!" He called back, disappearing around the corner.

Although he hadn't left too long after the women, they were nowhere in sight. The path continued in a straight stretch before stacking into steep steps.

As the path continued up the stairs it grew darker. The trees around the path had grown closer, their trunks twisting together. Their branches over lapped with wide leaves, allowing less sunlight in.

Butch's eyes widen once he reached the top the stairs. It was almost as if he had walked to an entirely different place.

Clear creek's turned to mud green ponds, and the grass curled to fluffy moss. The birds stopped singing, instead a choir of frogs chirped after each step he took. Towering cattails replaced the flowers and thirsty mosquitos mocked the buzz of a bee. The path he followed was soft from the moisture and eventually dove straight into the swamp in front of him.

On the other side stood a strange man. He wore a wooden mask with a demon's face painted onto it and long ripped pants. A belt covered in full pouches hung low on his waist and strange symbols were painted over his chest and back in a deep red colour.

Butch's eyes traveled straight to the pointed spear in the mans hand. Some kind of gem had been shaved down to a point and tied to a frail looking branch with a dried brown vine.

"If you think for a moment that that little rock is going to keep you safe!" Butch yelled, lifting himself off the ground.

The man didn't move as Butch flew over the swamp. A loud horn echoed behind him followed by four other men dressed the same and armed with various blades and shields.

As he made his way to the center of the muddy water, thorned vines shot up, wrapping themselves around Butch's arms and legs. Blood trickled down as they wrapped tighter digging into his skin, and slowly dragging him closer to the water.

"What the hell…" He whispered, pulling against them, trying to break free.

The water below him rippled and trees shook violently as the giant man from before appeared behind the five men. Unlike the other men, he wore no other protection, nor did he wield a weapon. The men stepped to the side allowing the giant in front of them.

"I don't know how you got this far stranger. But I am afraid this is the end for you." The giant's voice was still loud without the need to yell. "I wish we could let you free. I cannot risk you returning again."

The vines began to drag Butch into the water faster. No matter how he thrashed he couldn't seem to break free.

"My apologies. I never wished to take a life today. May the goddess great you with open arms on the other side…" The men all bowed before leaving Butch struggling in the pond.

Panic rushed over Butch as he was pulled waist deep into the water, his feet not yet touching the bottom. He didn't think the pond would be so deep. He flared his arms around, splashing water into his own face causing him to panic more. He swallowed a large sum of water as the vines dragged him fully under, continuing further down from the surface.

His eyes burned from the dirty water as he watched the sunlight slowly disappear around him.


End file.
